Familiar of Zero Unlimited Realities Book 1: The Fires of Revolution
by darkfrodo
Summary: Louise and Saito are gradually pulled into a conflict beyond their imaginations. Soon they are fighting to save not only their two worlds, but all of existence itself. Book 1 of 3.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own no characters from Zero No Tsukaima. Many thanks to Noboru Yamaguchi for giving us this wonderful world to play in.

**Zero No Tsukaima: Unlimited Realities.**

**Book 1: The Fires of Revolution**

**Prologue**

Rain. Lots of rain. As if the heavens themselves were weeping, water poured from the skies of Tristain. The unrelenting rain pounded everything not protected, including a statue depicting two people. The statue was situated on a pedestal with a bronze plaque adorning the front. It was at the center of a ringed stone platform. The ring that made up the boundary of the platform also served as railing for visitors. Placed on the railing at equal intervals were more bronze plaques, depicting information about the statue's two subjects. An opening at the front of the ring allowed people to approach the statue. The occasional flash of lightning pierced the darkness of the night and illuminated the stone carving. It depicted a man and a woman facing each other, locked in an unending embrace. The facial features of the couple were worn and weathered, rendering them almost unrecognizable. It was apparently quite old, as was the rest of this memorial dedicated to these two people. No one had visited this memorial for a long, long time.

Standing in front of the statue, was a hooded figure. Tall, about average build, he seemed to be contemplating the stone couple in front of him. One could see hints of blonde hair peeking out from beneath the hood. On his hip was a sword, a curved blade of steel, with a hilt carved from ivory. It was a simple but effective weapon, meant to dispatch one's enemies with a single strike. Its previous owner called it a katana. The figure remained still for a long time, seemingly deep in thought. Suddenly a chirping noise intruded itself upon the solemn scene. The man fished an object out his pocket, and held it up. An unnatural glow illuminated his seemingly young face. Letters appeared on the face of the object, a message of sorts.

_Intercepted message traffic. La Valliere has been dispatched to collect the object. Your window is closing._

He placed the object back in his pocket and sighed quietly. The time for tarrying had passed he supposed. He looked at the statue one last time and pulled the katana from his belt. Cradling the weapon in his arms he gently laid it at the base of the pedestal. He held his gaze on the blade for a few seconds, turned around, and began to slowly walk away towards the forest.

Rain water poured down the front of pedestal's plaque, giving the metal an ethereal sheen. On the plaque there was a phrase written in two languages, one of those languages not from this world. Though old, the phrase could still be read:

_This is the history of the couple's love, which began with the first kiss._

The katana was now thoroughly soaked along with everything else.

As the rain continued to pour, a voice seemingly from nowhere said,

"I'm so sorry Partner. For everything."

**Scene Break**

General Tonagawa Hinoshi sat in an office chair waiting for others to arrive in the conference room. Decades spent with the Japan Self Defence Force had made him a steely commander with an impeccable sense of duty and responsibility. He had for his entire career followed orders without question, but now he was going to do something that was once unthinkable to him. He was going to question his superiors.

Though he did carry out his order without question at the time, it made no sense to him. This act put Japanese citizens at risk and resulted in the loss of JSDF property.

_They're late. _Thought the General.

A life spent living military discipline had made General Tonagawa a very punctual man.

_Apparently the only thing these Americans value less than my opinion is my time._

Suddenly the door opened and several figures walked into the room.

"Good afternoon General. I'm CIA Deputy Director Daniel Mitchell. Sorry to keep you waiting. Welcome to Langley."

The General shook the American's hand without hesitation

"Good afternoon Deputy Director. I have some questions for you today."

Before the Deputy Director could respond a woman appeared behind him. Tall, thin, and very attractive, she had shoulder length black hair and was dressed in business pant suit. Despite her western attire, General Tonagawa could tell she was Japanese. Deputy Director Mitchell spoke,

"Let me introduce Miss Koishi Kutimura, Special Investigator for Naicho, the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office of Japan."

The General narrowed his eyes. _Naicho_, he thought. _What are they doing here?_

"I should not be surprised that Japanese Intelligence Officials would be involved in this"

The General said sarcastically while rolling his eyes.

"Konichiwa General" Miss Kutimura said, using the traditional Japanese greeting rather than the English "hello".

General Tonagawa gave the woman a hard look and began talking,

"Since you are Naicho, then I suppose it is you I need to direct my questions to."

"Ask away General."

"Very well." Tonagawa folded his hands in front of him and looked hard at the Japanese woman. He began his question carefully, putting his fury and shocked indignity into each word.

"Can you tell me Investigator Kutimura? Why…. The… Hell… Was I ordered to allow a teenager to just stroll onto my base and steal a fully loaded and fully fueled F-2 fighter craft?!"

General Tonagawa was shuddering in his anger as he fired each word at the Japanese investigator, like a bullet to her heart.

Koishi Kutimura simply kept a serene smile on her face and answered.

"It was for the sake of our investigation."

"Investigation!" The General slammed his fist down on the conference table. "That plane was fully armed. How could you have lived with yourself if that kid had started unloading missiles into downtown Tokyo?"

"I understand your anger General but the Prime Minister gave you a direct order and you were expected to simply follow it."

"I have never questioned orders my entire career." The General was now shaking with rage. "However I am accustomed to my orders making sense!"

"Perhaps the General would be a little more understanding if you shared with him the nature of your investigation."

It was Deputy Director Mitchell this time who spoke up.

"Fine" Miss Kutimura took out her laptop and connected it to the large screen on the wall in the conference room.

"This footage was taken from a street security camera in downtown Tokyo two years ago."

The men at the table stared at the screen on the wall as a young boy investigated a strange green oval that appeared in front of him, as the boy poked at it he was pulled in and vanished.

"What was that?" Asked Tonagawa.

"We don't know, some sort of portal" Miss Kutimura said. "However we were able to run facial recognition software on the boy's image. His name is Hiraga Saito, a local boy."

Miss Kutimura tapped some keys on her laptop and another image appeared on the screen.

"This was taken from another security camera a day before the aircraft incident. Again facial recognition software confirmed that it was the same boy."

"I don't see how this plays into you allowing him to steal a fighter plane." General Tonagawa said angrily.

Miss Kutimura opened another file on her computer and began a slide show on the main screen of the conference room.

First picture was of a World War II imperial fighter pilot in uniform posing in front of his Zero aircraft.

"Sasaki Takeo. Japanese Imperial Navy Ensign disappeared during a training flight in July 1941 along with his wingman Kazuki Honda. Ensign Honda returned, but Takeo was never seen nor heard from again. During debriefing Honda describes flying over Tokyo Bay during a solar eclipse and then suddenly seeing completely unfamiliar terrain below him. He eventually flew back into the eclipse with his wingman behind him and returned to Tokyo, but only Honda made it. When asked to describe the unfamiliar terrain to his superiors he simply described it as being in another world."

Investigator Kutimura went to the next slide:

Christopher Bolin, Private United States Marine Corp disappeared in Vietnam in 1972. His squad mates said a hole appeared out of nowhere in front of him while they were escaping enemy artillery, he was never seen again. However his fellow squad members did say that Private Bolin was gravely injured by enemy fire before disappearing into the portal. It would seem that wherever he went, he likely died there.

The Japanese investigator began to list disappearances of military equipment.

"Records obtained from Nazi Germany after World War II indicate a Tiger II tank just disappeared from their depot."

"So," Director Mitchell commented, "They just could have failed to account for its loss in action during the war."

"It was being guarded by four soldiers. They watched it fade away and vanish." Miss Kutimura paused before continuing, "During a solar eclipse."

"Maybe they had too much to drink before duty."

"Really Director? Were fifty Russian sailors who watched their submarine vanish with several nuclear weapons onboard also drunk?"

The Deputy Director pursed his lips. "Let me guess, there was a solar eclipse that day."

"Miss Kutimura looked at Mitchell with a sultry expression. "Why Director Mitchell I do believe you are catching on."

General Tonagawa interrupted the conversation. "This still does not tell me what happened to my plane."

Director Mitchell then chimed in. "It seems our party is one short."

Just then the conference room door opened again. A short bookish man with glasses and a pile of papers in his arms came into the room. He took the seat opposite from Miss Kutimura.

General Tonagawa this is Phillip De Lancie, a scientist from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

"Hello. Sorry I'm late."

"That's fine Phil." Mitchell replied. "Please tell General Tonagawa what you shared with us earlier."

"Yes Sir" Phil began looking through some papers. "After your plane took off General, we were able to track its path using the onboard transponder and satellite data. The pilot flew the plane directly into the eclipse, and at around 35,000 feet in altitude it vanished from radar."

"We were told to say it was a training accident." The General lamented. "That was lie."

Phil continued, "Yes sir, but the truth is that the plane really did just vanish. Almost like it ceased to exist."

Miss Kutimura also said, "We sent teams to look for wreckage in case it came apart in mid-air. No debris was ever found. However a week later this imaged popped up on another street security camera."

Miss Kutimura opened another video file and the men in the room stared. After a few seconds their mouths hung open. If their jaws could reach, they would have probably hit the floor.

On the screen was a crowded Tokyo street jammed with midday shoppers, and then in the center of the image, a small hole appeared. Hiraga Saito stepped through that hole only this time he was not alone. In his arms, like a wife being carried across a threshold, was a girl… a girl with pink hair.

Mitchell spoke first, "Who's the girl?"

"We don't know." Miss Kutimura replied. "We ran her face through multiple databases and found nothing. She does not exist. We dispatched authorities to shadow the couple but not interfere, unless of course they attempted another high profile theft."

The men in room were now listening to Miss Kutimura with rapt attention. So she continued.

The couple boarded an elevated train and apparently toured Tokyo. They went to a park and ate some crepe, did some shopping, and then they went to the residence of Mr. Hiraga's parents.

Director Mitchell interrupted, "So what your saying is this kid did what, brought a girlfriend back from another dimension or something, went sightseeing and then brought her home to meet the folks?"

"A bit crude but accurate Director."

General Tonagawa was still not satisfied, "What is the point of all this?"

"The point General is that we are on the cusp of the greatest discovery in all of human history. There is another world out there somewhere, and it is somehow connected to ours through these portals." Miss Kutimura then added, "When Kuzuki Honda came back from his trip through the eclipse, he mentioned one other thing. There were two moons in the sky, one large blue one and one smaller pink one."

All three men popeyed. Another world indeed.

Finally after what seemed to be an extended silence Director Mitchell spoke. "I have just one more question."

The Director looked over to the NASA scientist.

"When is the next solar eclipse?"


	2. 1 Domestic Bliss

Disclaimer: Again I own no characters from Zero No Tsukaima. All credit goes to Noboru Yamaguchi.

Authors Notes: Hello everyone! Thanks for taking the time to check out my first fanfic.

To everyone who read the prologue I'll answer the obvious question. Yes! The humans are coming. Or are they here already? Stay tuned.

This is not an AU fanfic. This is meant to be a direct sequel. When it comes to the story mythos I will try to stay as faithful as I can to the source material, however I am facing two problems: First of course is that due to Noboru Yamaguchi's illness, he has not yet finished the novels (Hoping he gets better soon), and second I really wanted to wait until Baka-Tsuki finished translating the existing novels before I wrote this but they are taking FOR-EV-ER! So I'm just going to have to use what we have now.

Anywho! Enjoy and by all means rate and review.

**Begin Story**

_Louise was in pain. She was lying on her side on a hard stone floor, unable to move or speak. _

_Lying a short distance away was her familiar. _

_Saito was lying on his back with Derflinger sticking grotesquely from his chest. Blood was pouring from his mouth. _

_Louise wanted to call out to Saito, but words would not come._

_She was watching her husband die._

_A figure approached Saito. Though Louise could not make out anything other than the shadow, she knew that he was the one responsible for her Love's current condition._

_The shadow reached and pulled Derflinger from Saito's chest. Blood now poured freely from the gaping hole that remained. _

_Holding Derflinger in his right hand, the shadow then pulled a glowing round object from the folds of his clothes with his left. He thrust the object violently into Saito's chest wound. While Saito screamed in agony, a bright light burst from the hole left by the sword._

_Then Saito's wound began to close up._

_The shadow leaned in close to Saito, and whispered something in his ear._

_Then he stood up and approached Louise._

_As the shadow drew closer Louise began to discern the figure's features._

_Features like his rather long and pointed ears._

_An elf._

_The elf made his way behind Louise and placed the sharpened side of Derf's blade gently against Louise's neck._

_Saito, despite being healed, was still gasping in pain, unable to move._

_Desperate, Louise shouted in her mind, "_Saito!"

_Derflinger rose._

"Saito!"

_Derflinger fell_

"SAITOOOOOO!"

Louise woke up in her bed, her nightclothes drenched with sweat.

Breathing heavily she looked around the bedroom she shared with her husband at Des Ornieres Manor.

_A dream._

Collapsing back into bed she reached over for Saito's reassuring touch.

Finding only empty bed sheets, Louise grew annoyed.

_Where's that impertinent familiar of mine gone to now?_

As she set out to search for him, Louise naturally jumped to worst conclusion.

_He's probably off somewhere frolicking with that maid._

**Scene Break**

"There we go, not bad at all." Saito thought while climbing down the ladder, fully satisfied with his work.

"It's nice Saito-san.", Said Siesta, who was standing next to him in Des Ornieres Manor's main hall. "But why is it in there?"

Siesta gestured to the wooden box with a glass cover that Saito had just hung on the wall. Inside the box on display was Saito's blue and white parka.

"I went through so much while I was wearing that parka. It's like my jersey."

"Jur-Zee?" Siesta looked at Saito puzzled.

"Never mind."

"Besides", Saito continued, "I figured everyone was getting a little tired of me wearing the same thing all the time."

"Well I always thought you looked quite handsome in it." Siesta said.

Siesta reached over and put her arms around Saito's neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Siesta continued,

"You know what I think you would look really handsome in?"

By now Saito was starting to get nervous. He was beginning to sweat and slightly inclined his head away from Siesta.

"W-w-what's that Siesta?" Saito replied.

Siesta moved her face closer to Saito's and while pressing her ample breasts onto Saito's arm she brought her mouth close to his ear. Siesta whispered,

"Nothing at all."

Siesta managed a small giggle while flashing her most flirtatious smile. She grasped Saito's wrist and placed his palm on her breasts.

"And I would be sure to dress to match."

_Wham!_

The air left Saito's lungs and his face contorted in pain. _Right on cue_, he thought as his hands went down to his aching crotch and went down for the count.

Standing over her now semi-conscious husband was a very, very pissed off Louise.

"Stupid Dog! Now if you're finished wagging your tail at the maid hurry up and get ready to leave. The carriage will be here soon and I do not want to be late for Princess-sama's anniversary celebration."

With that, Louise stormed off in a huff, back upstairs to the bedroom and slammed the door.

Saito stood up and used his arm to steady himself on the wall. He slowly began trying to shake off the dull ache that still reigned supreme over his manhood. He then turned and faced Siesta who wore a look of concern for Saito over another one of Louise's punishments.

"Hey Siesta", Saito said. "I finished another two chapters for you."

Siesta Smiled broadly and clasped her hands together.

"Really? Could you give them to me now? It will give me something to do while you are away this evening."

"Sure, just wait here a minute."

Still smarting in his private area, Saito slowly climbed the steps to the second floor of Des Ornieres Manor and went into his study. There on the desk was pile of papers that Saito had been working on for Siesta. He sighed at the thought of all the hard work that went into producing those papers. _But if I stop now, Siesta will never let me hear the end of it._ Saito mused sadly.

Saito sighed again as he recalled how he roped himself into doing this task.

When Louise and Saito went to Japan to visit his parents they also took some time to visit some shops so that Louise could get an idea of local customs and fashion. Despite Louise's reservations and jealousy, Saito insisted that they get Siesta a gift while they were there. Saito remembered that Siesta liked steamy romance novels, so they went to a book store where Saito asked the clerk if she could recommend something good. Thinking that this was a couple looking to spice up their love life the clerk gave a sly smile and produced a book from behind the counter. She told them that it was a very popular title in America, and that their "friend" will certainly enjoy it. Saito looked at the cover and read the title: _Fifty Shades of Grey_.

Upon returning to Halkeginia Saito gave the book to Siesta. However it seemed that Saito had overlooked the fact that it was written in Japanese Kanji, which Siesta could not read. Siesta asked Saito if he could read the book to her. After all any excuse to spend some quality time with Saito was fine with her, more than fine actually. Saito agreed and spent some time in the evenings reading _Fifty Shades of Grey _to Siesta. Well if Saito was unable to imagine the outcome when Louise learned about the true nature of Christian Grey, he should have. After hearing Saito read a few chapters of Mr. Grey's "ahem" activities to Siesta, Louise forbade Saito to read anymore of the tome to her. Just to drive the point home, punishments were administered.

Saito then tried teaching Siesta how to read Kanji. He reasoned she's of Japanese heritage anyway, so why not? After spending a week's worth of evenings giving Siesta Kanji lessons, Louise showed Saito why this was in fact not a good idea. Again, punishments were doled out.

So alas it seemed that Saito's final recourse was to just translate the book into Halkeginian script. Never mind the fact that the book's content is not something Saito particularly enjoys, but if he goes too long without producing finished material, Saito starts finding reminder messages from Siesta mixed in with his breakfast. As an added bonus, since this activity does not involve Siesta being physically present, Louise has thus far taken no action against it.

After giving the completed chapters to Siesta, Saito made his way to bedroom door and paused before opening it.

_Louise is probably still mad._ Saito thought.

He knew he must smooth things over with Louise before they left in the carriage, otherwise it was likely to be a troublesome ride.

Gathering his courage Saito opened the door.

Louise sat in front of the vanity, brushing her hair. Despite Saito's approach, she pretended not to see him.

Saito sat down on the bed, "Hey," he called.

There was no change in Louise's behavior or posture, so he continued, "That umm, earlier with Siesta, was a misunderstanding."

"You know Louise I would never—"

"Boobs!" Louise seethed out. "Boobs, boobs, boobs."

Saito protested, "It's not like I have an unusually high interest in those kinds of things."

No, in fact for a male his age, obsessive interest with the female lumps was perfectly normal.

"Hmph" Louise said, and turned away from Saito with a pouty look on her face.

Saito knew what he had to do next. He stood up and came over to Louise at the vanity. He bent over and gently stroked Louise's cheek with his hand.

"If all I cared about was the size of a woman's chest, I wouldn't be me now would I?"

"Lies! All Lies!" Louise was on a roll. "I see you walking around here all day long, gawking at that maid's pineapples at every opportunity."

Louise continued pouting, and placed her hands over her rather un-lumpy chest.

"I'm not even Lemon-Chan"

Saito, like switch thrown inside his brain, became very excited at those two words. Those two magic words.

"Say it again."

Louise looked at Saito after he said this. He had a feverish look in his eyes that unnerved her quite a bit.

Saito grasped Louise by the shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Please say it again."

Louise cast her eyes downward, looking very cute and spoke in a shy voice.

"L-l-l-lemon-Chan."

Saito let out a squeal of delight and hoisted his wife up by her shoulders. Embracing her tightly he guided her over to the bed.

"Saito I- oof!" Louise let out as she dropped onto the mattress.

Saito was perched on top of her, still looking quite feverish.

"How could I look at other women, when I am married to such a cute goddess?"

"Really"

"Yes"

"For real, really?"

"Yes." Saito brought his face very close to Louise. Her scent was making his heart beat so fast he thought might die right there.

"I love you Louise."

Two pairs of lips became one, and Louise moaned softly.

"Saito."

**Scene Break**

The Royal Palace of Tristainia was a beehive of activity.

Maids were busy cleaning, gardeners were tending, chefs were cooking, and guards were…..well guarding.

Musketeer commander Agnes was personally inspecting the guard detail for tomorrow night's celebration.

Because of the celebratory nature of the occasion, the guard detail must not only be vigilant, but look flawless.

"Soldier."

Agnes addressed the guard in front of her.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Ma'am?"

Commander Agnes reached up over the guard's helmet and ran her hand over the decorative plumage festooned there.

"Why is your plumage in such condition?"

"It be fine by my eyes ma'am." The guard answered somewhat timidly.

"It looks terrible in mine." Agnes paused for a moment and then gave an order: "Report to the armory and get a replacement helmet. Now!"

The guard saluted quickly and left. "Ma'am!"

Agnes approached the dais in the main palace ballroom where the celebration will be taking place tomorrow.

The Queen will be seated here along with Queen Charlotte of Gallia.

Agnes carefully inspected the dais, making sure every seat was properly labeled, every speck of dust removed and all possible dangers to the Queen's security minimized.

_Everything must be perfect_, Agnes thought, as she left the ballroom to go and check the palace grounds.

**Scene Break**

Yes, the Palace could certainly be likened to a beehive that day, and at the center of every hive is the Queen.

Queen Henrietta of Tristain sat in her office looking over the guest list for the party celebrating her second year on the throne. If this office was seen by those not in the know, they would never guess this was the working space of royalty. The walls and floor were bare. A simple wooden desk and chair were the only pieces of furniture in the room. Rather than raise taxes to fill a treasury bankrupted by war, she had sold all the royal furnishings instead. This act was very well received by her subjects, and earned her the moniker _Queen of Honorable Poverty._

She quietly read the list of names one by one, smiling to herself when she came to names she recognized, especially those of dear friends.

_Queen Charlotte, Old Osman, Guiche de Gramont, and of course his guest Montmorancy. Jean Colbert, Kirche von-Zerbst, Tiffania Westwood._

Henrietta paused at one name in particular and smiled broadly. _Louise Francois Le Blanc de La Valliere. _

Her childhood best friend and valued confidant.

Then the next name should be:

Henrietta saw it, and stopped. Despite belonging to her best friend's lover and husband, that name still made her heart beat faster than any other since Prince Wales, who had died in Albion.

_Hiraga Saito _

The man who had saved her from disaster more times than she could count. The hero of Tristain.

While the Queen was truly happy for her best friend, Henrietta was still prone to wistful thoughts of what might have been.

Different circumstances, different outcomes, and who knows how events might have transpired.

Trying to cover her smile without much success, Henrietta had a somewhat whimsical thought.

_What if there was another Henrietta out there somewhere? Waking up next to a man with black hair. A man who treated her not as a Queen, but as a normal woman, someone whom she could just wrap her arms around at the end of the day, and in that moment no longer be a Queen, but just herself._

She sighed sorrowfully at that thought.

_What would that be like?_

The Queen's thoughts were broken by a knock at the door.

"Enter!" She called.

The door opened and there stood Cardinal Mazarin, her most trusted advisor.

The Cardinal had served as regent after the death of her father, and even turned down an opportunity to go Romalia to serve as Pope, so that he may continue to serve Tristain's royal family.

Few in Henrietta's inner circle offered such loyalty.

"Good afternoon Your Majesty!" Mazarin cheerfully said.

"And to you too Cardinal. How can help you today?"

"I am here to report the latest news on the situation in Albion."

Queen Henrietta sat down at her desk and folded her arms in front of her.

"Go ahead Cardinal. You have my full attention."

"Well as you know your majesty ever since the Reconquista faction destroyed the Albion Royal Family we have had considerable difficulty stabilizing the nation."

"The governing council set up by the conference of nations Your Majesty attended two years ago has been unable to unite the various factions that make up the nobility there." Mazarin Said. "And now it seems that they have another problem on their hands, a full blown commoner's rebellion."

Henrietta nodded in understanding, and then spoke a name:

"Robert de Sable."

"Yes, nobody had even heard of this ruffian before the war against Reconquista, however since then he has been slowly gathering followers among the commoners. He seeks to usurp the authority of the nobility and establish a republic for commoners, by commoners."

"Is he a genuine threat to Albion's future Cardinal?" Asked Henrietta.

"Before today's news I would have said no, but I have just received word that de Sable's men just raided a weapons cache outside of Saxe Gotha, and seized no less than 100 barrels of gunpowder.

The Queen put her hand over her mouth in shock. Cardinal Mazarin noticed and continued.

"Yes, and that raid was latest of many he has conducted I'm afraid. The council is concerned that Robert de Sable's actions indicate that he is preparing for full scale war."

"What do you think this means for Tristain Cardinal Mazarin?"

"I don't know. There is the possibility that de Sable will not stop with Albion." If he grows beyond his original ambitions, then like Reconquista he could begin an assault on all of Halkeginia. And as before Tristain will be the first to face invasion."

"Has de Sable made any references to his ambitions? Do we know for sure what his intentions will be if he succeeds in leading a commoner takeover of Albion? "

"No Your Majesty, but we should not let our guard down regardless. Eternal vigilance is the price of our authority."

"Very well Cardinal Mazarin. You will continue to apprise me of this matter as it develops."

"Of course Your Majesty."

**Scene Break**

In the dank of this bar, a man sat silently in a corner nursing his beer. His back to wall of course and keeping an eye on the exits, he surveyed the scene. Bar maids dressed in skimpy outfits, smiles permanently fixed on their faces, loud rowdy patrons, and of course the very effeminate man with lipstick insisting his employees call him Mademoiselle.

In short it was just another night at the Charming Fairies Inn.

The server came by to ask the brown haired gentleman if he needed anything else.

"No just keep the brews coming."

"Waiting for someone tonight?"

"No, I'm just killing time. I really have nothing else to do right now."

"Are you going to be here in Tristania for a while or are you just passing through?"

"Well Miss uh…."

"Jessica"

"Right, Jessica. Well I suppose like everyone else here tonight I'm staying for the Queen's anniversary celebration tomorrow. It looks to be a night to remember."

Jessica Looked around the bar. The Charming Fairies Inn was doing rather brisk business because of all the visitors.

"Alright, well if you need anything don't hesitate to ask."

"I sure won't ma'am. Oh, and here, this is for your trouble."

The man reached into his cloak and pulled out several gold coins. He placed them on the table and slid them over to Jessica."

"Hey thanks." She said. Again if you need anything…."

"Right just ask."

Jessica then pointed to the man with the lipstick.

"Or just ask him. He's my father."

He looked over at Scarron, the owner of the Charming Fairies Inn. Then he looked at Jessica, and back to Scarron, and back to Jessica again.

"Well I can certainly see the resemblance."

"Thanks again for the nice tip Mr.….."

"Robert ma'am, just call me Robert. Everyone else does."

**Scene Break**

The twin moons of Halkeginia bathed the night in a sensuous aura. Looming large in the night sky they lent a romantic touch to any place where they might be seen. Even this deserted road.

Walking briskly, the sounds of his footsteps amplified by nighttime silence, a hooded figure made his way down the long and lonely road. If he was not alone he would've made a curious sight to behold. The dark road in the middle of the night is no place for travelers. The hood served to obscure any features that those foolish enough to pry might get a glimpse of. Save for the few blonde hairs peeking out around the edges.

On his hip was a falchion, a flat sword with a wide blade. The hilt was made of the purest pearls that could be found in the ocean, the blade was made of a clear, almost transparent alloy, which no one here would recognize. On the end of the hilt there was a small metal spike.

He'd been walking for many hours, and didn't expect to reach his destination until just before sunrise. The exertion did not bother him though. Getting tired was not really something he did.

Up ahead he saw torches moving in the shadows. He sighed. He knew there was good chance this could happen if he decided to continue traveling through the night. Still he kind hoped it wouldn't.

He stopped walking and soon he was confronted by four sword wielding highway men.

"Bit late for a stroll pal?" One asked?

"Nah man, I think he's just lost."

The four men laughed.

The hooded figure stood still for a moment and then spoke.

"Is there something I can do for you? If not then I ask that you let me pass."

"Not a problem mate." The lead highway man replied. "But first you'll need to pay the toll."

"Our group here is a little broke, so were wondering if you might spare us all your gold." The fourth highway man taunted.

The lead highwayman spoke again. "Oi and that fancy sword. We'll be taking that too."

The hooded man seemed to consider the thieves in front of him and gave a quick reply.

"I do not carry gold and as for my weapon." He said while pulling the blade from his hip. "You need only come and take it."

"Aye." The leader said with a smile. "We were hoping for that arrangement."

The following happened in a matter of moments:

The first highway man on the left brought his sword high up and over toward the hooded man in a downward strike. He blocked with his own sword, and then spun around bringing his clear falchion level with the thieves' neck and just followed through. The thief's head went one way, the rest of him the other. The second highwayman brought his sword in wide side swipe slash. The hooded man caught him by the wrist stopping the slash, and the rotated his own right wrist so that the falchion blade faced away from the thief. In two quick motions he thrust the hilt spike first into his neck and then his temple. Then he brought the sword down and using an upward back hand motion he split the already dying man open from groin to breast plate. The lead highway man charged trying to pierce, but the hooded figure simply side stepped, crouched and spun. The falchion went through both knees like butter. The fourth and final thief raised his sword over his head and meant to drive the blade into the still crouching hooded man. But he rolled back and out to the side and stood up as the thief stabbed into the dirt. The falchion tip suddenly emerged from the front of the highwayman's chest. When the blade withdrew a geyser of blood replaced it.

The lead highwayman was on his back desperately trying to crawl back away from what moments ago seemed to be an easy mark, his two stumps that were once his legs leaving twin trails of blood as he did so.

It was the hooded man's turn to do some taunting.

"Didn't you just say that you were coming to take my sword?"

"Please don't! Stop please!"

The gravely wounded highway man continued to crawl backwards away.

"By all means young man, take it!"

With that, the hooded man threw his sword at his would be robber. Quickly spinning end over end the blade drove itself into his chest.

The hooded man calmly walked over, crouched over the dying thief, placed both hands firmly on the hilt of his sword and drove the blade the rest of the way through.

He leaned forward and spoke softly to the doomed man.

"Unfortunately for you, where you're going, you cannot take it with you."

He pulled the falchion from the now dead man's chest and the corpse hit the ground with a sickening thud.

The hooded figure calmly wiped the blade clean on his dead foe's clothes, sheathed it, and resumed his walk down the road.

He would reach Tristania just before sunrise. There he would find his quarry, undoubtedly at the Queen's celebration tomorrow night.

The hooded man kept walking, confident that before the next night was through he would walk out of Tristania carrying the head of his mark out by the hair.

By his thick, black hair.


	3. 2 Unalienable Rights

Author's notes: Whew! This chapter turned out to be a lot longer than I expected. Of course a lot happens in this chapter. Yes, after a prologue, and a first chapter that was basically set up, finally stuff starts happening. The plot thickens!

On another note, I believe that every story should have a theme. I've decide that my story's theme will be "Blackheart" By" Two Steps From Hell." If haven't heard it, then you should go on YouTube and look it up. It is an absolutely wonderful piece. Whenever I listen to it, scenes that I have planned for this arc and subsequent ones just play out so well in my mind. It also really captures the emotions that I want to convey in this story as well.

Well that's it for now. Enjoy the new chapter and as always read and review!

**Begin Story**

_A few days earlier…._

In the dawn mists off the northern coast of Tristain, a small vessel with large billowing sails floated along a course parallel to the coastline about two leagues from shore. For three days the sailors of this ship had been floating up and down the coastal waters with no sight of their objective. The ship's "captain" was starting to lose patience. If he was a smuggler trying not to draw the attention of the Tristainian Sky Navy, then his efforts could be counted a resounding success. Unfortunately the truth of the matter was that he _was_ trying to get their attention, but so far their plan of "sailing the coastal waters in a suspicious manner and getting caught", were not bearing fruit.

"I swear by the Founder if we don't run into one of those Tristainian sky buckets soon, I'm just going right into a yard harbor and open fire on one."

"I'm afraid I can't join you on that mission Beckett." His second in command replied. "As far as I am aware, suicide is still a sin."

"It's been three days Howell, and not so much as a sail have we spotted."

"Perhaps they've been dispatched to maintain watch closer to Albion, after all our brothers and sisters in arms have been stirring up quite the fuss lately." Howell said with a chuckle.

Beckett nodded slowly. The rebellion in Albion was going well. Robert de Sable has accomplished great things in the name of the common man. Beckett had come to respect both Robert's cause for justice for the commoners, as well as his utter contempt for the nobles of Halkeginia. That was one of the reasons Beckett had joined Robert's ranks, Howell too. In fact Beckett suspected that was the reason many of the men surrounding them had joined the cause. Robert was strong and charismatic. He spoke of freedom and liberty as something not just reserved for the privileged few, but something that was inherently promised to all people.

"Well anyway." Beckett replied. "I suppose that makes us a victim of our own succe-."

"Captain!" A voice from the lookout tower screamed. "Tristainian warship approaches!"

_Finally_

**Scene Break**

"Captain!" the deck officer of the Tristainian battleship _Highlander Sky_ called out." Suspicious vessel sighted at 10 o'clock sir on the water's surface."

The captain pulled out his spyglass and looked in the direction the young officer indicated. It was a small vessel, crew of about fifty he'd wager. He put his spyglass away and gave the order to descend to the water and to have the other ship stop for inspection. The deck officer saluted and went to carry out his captain's orders.

**Scene Break**

"Maintain course and speed!" Beckett yelled to his men. "We do not want to seem as though we gave up too easily!"

The small ship plowed forward through the waves, cruising at full speed. A magically amplified voice called out from the warship as she lowered herself into the water.

_Unknown ship. Stop immediately and prepare to be boarded! _

"Not yet! Keep sailing!" Beckett called out.

After the chase dragged on for another minute the voice from the warship spoke again.

_This is your last warning! Stop or we will commence firing!_

"Just a little more!"

The captain of the _Highlander Sky _had apparently had enough. The _Sploosh….Sploosh_ of warning shots hitting the water in front of the rebel vessel came shortly after the boom of cannon fire.

Beckett cried out, "Full stop! Full stop! I think we have their attention!"

As the small vessel slowed down, the Tristainian warship pulled along their starboard side, cannons trained on them. A small dingy was lowered into the waves and men began rowing over to them.

"Well they're coming sir." Howell said quietly. "Are you sure this will work?"

"If I wasn't would it make a difference at this point?"

"S'pose not sir." Howell replied with a chuckle.

"By the way. You did remind everyone to put on their _accessories _right?"

"Oh yes sir. And let me tell you, the men were quite confused about that." Howell began mimicking the responses of the men. "What do you mean I got to wear this stupid necklace? Do I look like some sort of bar wench?" Howell then continued, "But when I told them that these little trinkets that they would be wearing would keep their arses alive in front of those mage officers, they shut up real quick." Howell said with some satisfaction.

Beckett had his own small white pendent around his neck just like all the other men. He quickly tucked it under his shirt, Howell and the rest of the crew did the same.

The launch from the Tristainian warship had reached the rebels and pulled up alongside. Mage officers climbed aboard and demanded to speak to the captain.

Beckett stepped forward and said, "That would be I sir."

The boarding party officer approached Beckett and looked closely at him, sizing him up.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Begging your pardon your Lordship", said Beckett, trying to sound as humble as possible. "We are but simple fishermen trying to eke out our meager living."

The officer looked around the deck of the suspect vessel. "Tell me why there are no trawling nets, no poles, nor fishing implements of any kind in sight."

"Well sir," Beckett replied. "It seems that my men consumed a very liberal amount of drink and, well I'm embarrassed to say but we lost the whole lot overboard."

The Tristainian officer approached Beckett very closely, examining him with all of his senses.

"You smell like neither fish nor drink."

"Ahh well you see your Lordship about that-"

But the officer had heard enough. "In the name of her Majesty the Queen I am placing you all under arrest!"

**Scene Break**

While the crew of the suspect vessel was being rowed back to the _Highlander Sky, _the captain observed everything from his spyglass.

Once the prisoners were brought onboard, the captain confronted them on the ship's deck.

Beckett stood out in front of the crew, his head hung low and unassuming.

"What were you doing out here in Her Majesty's waters?" The captain asked Beckett.

Beckett lifted his head and smiled at the captain. Gone was the humble and submissive posture that he displayed to the boarding party. He looked at the warship captain with a wicked grin.

"We intend to commandeer this vessel to be used in the service of Robert de Sable and his glorious cause for justice and freedom of commoners everywhere."

The captain stood stunned at the bold response from the man in front of him. _He said that with such confidence. This commoner is an even bigger fool than I thought._ He then threw his head back and laughed.

"You commoner scum." The captain said while drawing his wand cane. "How do you plan on taking this vessel?"

"By force." Beckett calmly replied, and pulled a dagger from a concealed pocket. The scraping of metal on sheath could be heard as the rest of his men did the same.

The captain's expression went from smug amusement to pure rage as he raised his wand cane and chanted a spell. _"Windi!"_

Upon completion of the spell….._Nothing Happened._

The captain looked puzzled for moment and chanted again_: Windi_!"

Same outcome as before…..Nothing.

Beckett grabbed the end of the wand cane, pulled himself in close to the captain and gave him a solid punch to the jaw. The captain staggered and went down, and Beckett was left holding the wand cane.

"I can't tell you how long I've wanted to do that to one of you mages." Beckett laughed out.

The rest of the officers of the _Highlander Sky_ began franticly chanting their own spells only to be met with the same results. _Their spells were not working._

Beckett's men came around and confiscated all the wands from the ship's officers and while Beckett himself confronted the captain who was still flat on his back.

"You arrogant mages. You really are pathetic and helpless without your magic." And with that Beckett struck the now former captain of the _Highlander Sky_ across the face with his own wand cane.

The officers were rounded up and placed in the same launch that was used to row Beckett and his men to the ship. Since the enlisted sailors were commoners, Beckett gave them a choice. Stay on board and join the rebellion, or join their defenseless officers in launch. Many sailors did in fact stay on board, but for others the fear of being hanged for treason was just too great and they stepped into the smaller boat with their superiors.

Beckett now began to order his men. "Make ready for sail and get us in the air!"

They had done it. The commoner's rebellion had captured a Tristainian warship.

As the _Highlander Sky_ rose up and out of the water, Beckett turned to Howell as if recalling something important. "Did you remember to light the fuse before we left?"

"Ahhh. Well Sir I uh—"

_KaBoom!_

Both men turned and looked over the railing and watched the burning hulk of their former vessel flaming in the water. The now marooned officers and crew shouting and cursing in the small launch below.

Howell turned to Beckett and replied:

"Yes sir, I believe I did."

"Good."

The _Highlander Sky _continued rising and sailed off.

**Scene Break**

On the day that Tristania will celebrate Queen Henrietta's two years on the throne, Robert de Sable stepped out of the Charming Fairies Inn and took in the morning.

He thought of the night's rest he just had and deemed it satisfactory. _Except for the room smelling of stale beer and piss,_ he thought.

Robert was dressed in a plain white tunic with a brown vest; leather grieves, and light brown boots. Covering his dark brown hair was a wide brimmed hat with a white feather. His appearance was such that he almost resembled one of the nobles he despised so much.

The townspeople of Tristania were also just starting their day. Merchants were opening their shops, mothers and daughters were collecting water from the wells, and town criers were delivering the latest news from around Halkeginia.

It was in this morning chaos that a small girl tugged on Robert's sleeve.

"Good morning sir. Could you please spare a coin? My family and I've got nothing to eat."

Robert crouched down so that he could be eye level with the little girl. He spoke in a gentle voice.

"What is your name child?"

"Isabella"

"And how old are you?"

"Seven years sir, this past spring."

"Where are your parents?"

"My father is trying to find work further in the city. My mum is over there."

The girl pointed over to a corner a short distance away. A plain woman in an equally plain, but dirty dress stood there begging for coins. Her weathered and haggard face clearly wore the hardships of a commoner's existence. Robert took the small girl by the hand and let her lead him over.

As Robert approached the peasant woman, while holding her daughter's hand, she took in his appearance, averted her eyes and cast her gaze downward. Robert spoke reassuringly to the woman.

"Fear not milady, I am not a noble."

"Sorry kind sir, I mistook you for one because, you have the air of someone noble."

"Tell me ma'am, what has happened to find you in such a state?"

The woman looked at Robert and could see the honesty and sincerity in his eyes. She decided that she could trust him.

"My husband worked for Count Mott at his estate. The wages that his Lordship paid were not enough to put food in my child's belly, so he also took a job with another noble, who just happened to be Lord Mott's rival. When the Count found out about my husband working for him he was furious. In his rage he had my husband's thumbs removed."

Robert understood immediately. There was little work a man could perform without his opposable thumbs.

"If my husband cannot find work, we will starve."

Robert took a pouch from the folds of his vest and handed it over to the woman. The pouch was quite heavy.

Upon inspecting the pouch's contents, the woman had to quickly suppress her suddenly unrestrained joy for fear drawing too much attention.

"Sir I could not take this, I mean this must be a hundred ecus!"

"One hundred twenty six actually." Robert said. He bowed to the lady and said, "Now I must be off."

He turned to leave.

"Maggie!" Said the woman.

Robert turned around again and faced her.

"You gave so much and never asked my name! It's Maggie!"

"Well Maggie, you may call me Robert."

"Robert." The peasant woman breathed his name out like praise to the Founder.

"Thank you sir, and may the Founder bless you always."

Robert held up his hand and simply spoke, "You may honor me by taking care of this beautiful child, and take heart milady. A day of reckoning is coming. Soon these so called nobles will pay for their crimes."

Robert bowed again and walked off, continuing to take in the streets of Tristania.

**Scene Break**

"What in the name of Brimir is all this?"

The Junior Lieutenant of the Tristain Griffon Knight Corps asked the strange man in front of him.

"Wine sir, for the Queens party tonight."

"Well what is it doing here?"

"Beggin' your pardon Your Lordship, but I really don't know. I was just sent to deliver twenty five barrels of wine to the Noble Knights of the Griffon Corps."

"Well commoner, if you plan on storing this lot in our basement, you better be able to show a delivery order."

"Y-y-yessir."

"You do know what we keep in here don't you lad?"

The young page boy was slightly nervous at the imposing Knight Corps officer in front of him. He answered weakly, "Griffons sir."

"That's right Griffons." The barrel chested knight said. "And I wouldn't hesitate for a second to have you dragged into their stables and fed to 'em if you're lying to me."

The pageboy handed his orders over to the Lieutenant and stood quietly as he looked at them.

The Knight carefully inspected the orders and asked the pageboy: "These orders say that you'll be delivering twenty barrels, why the extra five?"

The pageboy licked his lips, and quickly answered, "Well, and again beggin' your pardon, but we thought that since the brave Griffon Knight Corps would not be in attendance this evening, that a few barrels for you and your men's personal enjoyment might make your evening go by a little smoother."

The Griffon Knight seemed to consider this, and the pageboy continued, "We'll even set the five barrels up in the barracks for you."

The Griffon Knight Lieutenant laughed out loud at this and clapped the pageboy on the shoulder so hard that his teeth rattled.

"You know lad if you weren't a filthy commoner, I'd wager you'd make a fine politician. Well played boy, well played."

He signaled two of his men.

"You there, come help these lads load this wine into the basement!"

Turning to the pageboy the knight said, "Those five barrels had better be in the barracks before you leave."

The pageboy bowed deeply before the Griffin Knight and concealed a smile.

"Absolutely Your Lordship. I guarantee it."

**Scene Break**

The trappings and ambiance for a royal celebration never were much of a draw for him, but tonight even Robert had to admit, this was a spectacular sight.

The Royal Palace of Tristain was lit up with an otherworldly glow. Fireworks painted a portrait of swirling multicolored streaks against a canvass of white clouds hovering in the obsidian sky. The streets were crowded with revelers and had a circus like atmosphere. The scene was complete with performers of all types drawing crowds at various street corners all over town. There were fire eaters, sword swallowers, men on stilts, and tumblers, while merchants called out to customers claiming special discounted prices for their wares, all in honor of the Queen's second anniversary of ascending to the throne.

Robert painstakingly made his way through the frivolous crowds to a carefully concealed barrel located just off the palace grounds. There he found a change of clothes, his white pendant, and a special package containing an object that he strapped to his wrist.

After changing into his servant's uniform, Robert de Sable made his way into the palace through the servant's entrance. In the kitchen he grabbed tray of glasses filled with wine and entered the main ball room.

**Scene Break**

Hovering protectively over the Royal Palace of Tristain, the warship _Highlander Sky_ kept watch over the party. Or at least it seemed to. The rebels who had taken over the vessel several days earlier were out on the ship's deck, watching in awe at the pyrotechnic display before them.

Captain Beckett stood at the ship's railing, observing the revelry below. Howell, standing next to him, leaned in close to Beckett to get his attention.

"So when's the boom?"

"Robert's signal should go off in a half hour or so."

"Right! Then it's time to dish out a little payback to those stuck up nobles."

"Do not let your enthusiasm cloud your judgment Howell. We're here to do our jobs, nothing more. "

"I know that sir, but while we're here…"

"No!" Beckett turned and gave Howell a serious expression. "Any deviation from the plan could cause us to leave with nothing. At worst it could earn us all a trip to the gallows. Now go and make sure the cannons are prepared. We'll need to act the moment Robert begins."

Beckett turned back to the rail and continued to stare at the party below. Soon the real fireworks would begin.

**Scene Break**

The ballroom of the Tristainian Royal Palace was truly breathtaking. Decorated with sashes of purple and silver, and lit up with a very large hundred candle chandelier at the top, giving the room a soft glow about it. That glow was even further enhanced by the twin moons shining through stained glass behind the elevated dais at the end of the room. On that dais were seated Queens Henrietta, and Charlotte of Gallia.

Queen Charlotte, also called Tabitha by her friends, was short and very thin, looking more like a child, than someone occupying the throne of a nation. She had light blue hair, which as one of the identifying characteristics of Gallia's Royal Family, made her instantly recognizable as such.

Standing next to Tabitha was a woman with slightly darker blue hair. She was taller and much more physically developed than Tabitha. This was Irukkuku. Publicly, she was the Queen's attendant, and unofficial sister. Secretly, she was a Rhyme Dragon in disguise, as well as Tabitha's familiar.

At least a hundred nobles packed the room and danced with their respective partners. A veritable Who's Who of noble society filled the floor. Dukes and Duchesses, more than one crown prince, earls, barons, and lords, all wanting a glimpse of Her Majesty's grace, as well as perhaps secure a favor or two.

Near the front of the room not far from the Queen's dais, a commoner turned noble from another world was dancing with his wife.

"You look beautiful Louise." Saito said.

And true to Saito's word Louise did in fact look rather stunning. She wore a light pink ballroom dress that conformed tightly to the torso, and flowed loosely at the bottom. Ruby earrings and a ring completed the picture.

Louise blushed slightly and simply said "T-t-thank you,"

The looking up at her husband with equally endearing eyes, Louise said quietly, "You look very handsome too Saito."

Louise said this although she does not like to say it out loud, lest that wandering familiar of hers get a swell head and start flirting with other girls. But Saito was in fact looking quite dashing in his noble finery. A black silk outer shirt worn over a linen undershirt, black pants a black outer noble's jacket with gold embroidered trim. Louise chose this outfit for Saito, who had no experience in what noble classes should wear. Saito on the other hand thought he looked ridiculous.

Tied to his hip in its sheath was Derflinger, now inhabiting a katana with an ivory hilt. The sword was worn tucked in his belt with the cutting blade facing up in its sheath, the traditional Japanese way to wear it. This was so that in the event the sword must be drawn the cutting edge would face out away from the wielder, ready to bisect an enemy.

"Hey, Louise. Are you alright?" Saito asked.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine." Louise replied while shaking her herself out of her daydream and putting on a smile. The truth was that Louise was not alright. She was having the same dream about Saito being killed and resurrected by that elf over and over again. It always ended the same way: with Louise's decapitation. The fact that she kept having the dream really unnerved her, for it could mean that a tragedy was just on the horizon.

Saito tried to find a more cheerful topic to discuss.

"Louise, I was thinking about our next vacation to Earth. "

Louise looked up at her husband with an inquisitive expression.

"Huh?"

Saito continued, "Did I ever tell you about Okinawa?" Louise merely shook her head.

"They have beautiful white beaches and hotels that make these places the nobles stay in look like Scarron's attic."

Louise gave a small shudder when reminded of that attic in the Charming Fairies Inn. Louise and Saito had to sleep in that place for a while during an undercover mission for the Queen.

Saito went on, "We can sit on the beach, stare at the ocean, drink margaritas, and watch the ladies play beach volleyball."

_Crunch! _ Louise pulled her husband close and drove her knee into his sensitive male spot, and held him while she ground her knee deep in his crotch.

"What was that Saito?" Louise asked malevolently, "You want to take your wife on vacation and stare at other girls?"

Saito managed a stifled, "No dear," while grimacing in pain.

Louise ground in harder, being careful to smile and appear affectionate with Saito in front of others while she punished him. "Yes you do. As soon as we get there you'll leave me behind and run to the beach and stare at bouncing breasts.

"No Louise that's not it I swear. Please. It hurts."

Louise released him and Saito took a few moments to bend over and compose himself.

"If you keep hitting me there, we'll never be able to have children."

"Huh? What are you talking about?'

Saito face palmed and stared at his wife. He had to remind himself of Halkegenians and their lack of medical knowledge.

Saito decided to go ahead and tell her. "For a male that part is, how should I say, where a man makes his contribution to the child. So if you break it, no contribution, means no child."

Louise gave Saito a dubious expression, "I think you're just afraid of being punished by your master."

"No, if that were the case I would just have Monmon whip up another love potion. I think she owes me a favor or two." Saito replied while wearing a mischievous smile.

Louise and Saito instinctively looked over in the direction of Montmorency and Guiche dancing a short distance away. For once Guiche was behaving himself and not flirting with every female in sight.

Louise then shot Saito a cold look, "You wouldn't dare."

"I'd slip it in your evening wine." Saito said, his smile now even wider.

Louise was about to give her reply, something about how the best search parties in the world would have never been able to find Saito after the potion would have worn off, but Louise never got the chance. For once she opened her mouth to speak; the world around them shook violently.

**Scene Break**

In the barracks of the Tristain Griffon Knight Corps, over twenty knights lay dead, courtesy of the poisoned wine delivered by men in the employ of Robert de Sable. Five barrels of poisoned wine were more than enough to kill every member of the Knight Corps on duty. But what would be even more surprising to these men, if they were alive to comprehend it, was that those five barrels were the only real wine delivered that day. For stored in the basement in vessels labeled wine, were twenty barrels of gunpowder. Gunpowder which was stolen from a weapons cache in Albion.

While stepping carefully over the corpses of the nobles, Alec quietly poured more gunpowder from a pouch on the floor, creating a trail that lead to the barrels in the basement. He hoped that the trail he made would be long enough for him to light it with his flintlock pistol and make his escape.

However before lighting the fuse, he turned and looked at the body of the Knight Lieutenant that had confronted him during the delivery earlier that day. Alec smiled a triumphant smile, and spoke to his dead foe.

"If I weren't a filthy commoner I'd make a fine politician eh? Well my Lordship," Alec said mockingly, "Since you are nothing more than a dead piece of shit noble, I believe you'll make a fine sack of fertilizer."

With that, Alec took a dagger from his belt and tossed it to the dead man in front of him.

"For you my Lord, I reckon magic won't do you much good in hell." Alec then tossed his head back and spit on the corpse.

Alec turned and began to walk away when the dead mage suddenly got up and stabbed him in the back with his own dagger. Alec's face twisted in both surprise and pain as the now not quite dead mage thrust the dagger into his flesh again and again and again. The blade withdrew one last time and was then buried in Alec's neck. The mage then collapsed and died, finally succumbing to the poison.

Alec fell to the ground and began crawling slowly toward the trail of gunpowder. As blood poured from the wound in his neck, he knew he only had moments to complete his mission before death took him as well. He reached the gunpowder fuse, pulled out his flintlock and pulled the trigger. As the burning sparks blazed toward the barrels in the basement Alec closed his eyes and thought: _Mother, Father. Tonight I die a free man._

While the Knight barracks was merely adjacent to the griffon stables, the basement led directly beneath them. Consequently when the twenty barrels of gunpowder ignited and blew sky high, the stables themselves were destroyed in a massive fireball that also incinerated every single griffon of the Knight Corps.

** Scene Break**

"That's it! That's the signal!" Beckett called out from the deck of the _Highlander Sky. _He then yelled down to the men aiming the already armed cannons. "Remember, take out the watch towers and guard posts! Then pick off guard formations on the ground!"

The _Highlander Sky_ commenced firing.

**Scene Break**

"Your Majesty!"

Musketeer Commander Agnes came bursting into the ballroom with a frantic message.

"The Griffon Knight Corps Headquarters has just been completely destroyed!"

_So that's what the violent shaking was about, _thought Saito.

Henrietta stood up, shocked and clearly shaken by what just happened. However she hardened her expression quickly. _A Queen must never show fear._

Now composed Henrietta began to issue orders: "Agnes, assemble the guards, and go assess the situation. Provide security and help out any way you can."

"What about you Your Majesty? What about your security."

"Too many mages here," this was from Queen Charlotte of Gallia.

"Charlotte is right Agnes; there are too many mages in here for anyone to attack us. Just go."

Agnes bowed quickly and ordered the ballroom guards to follow her.

After Agnes left the ball, guests began franticly whispering to themselves. Rumors ranging from an attack from Albion, to involvement of the elves stirred fear and uncertainty amongst the nobles in the room.

The Queen of Tristain was about to address the crowd of nobles, when a distant roar was suddenly heard. The roar came first from outside the palace then moved inside. What's more, the roar brought the sounds of clashing swords with it. It would seem that followers of Robert de Sable had made a direct assault on the palace, and with nearly all the guards rushing towards the catastrophe at the Griffon Knight's Headquarters, de Sable's men met with minimal resistance.

The peasant army rushed inside the ballroom and quickly placed barricades in the slots on the doors. The nobles were yelling and shouting curses at the commoners in front of them, readying their wands for attack. The noise in the room was nearly deafening.

Henrietta looked at the crowd of Peasants in front of her and asked, "What is the meaning of all of this?" However, with all the commotion, no one paid the Queen any heed.

_Blam!_

The sound of a gunshot silenced all the voices in the room. A hundred noble heads turned in the direction of the sound and saw a waiter with a pistol in his right hand, pointed at the ceiling.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" The waiter called out. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Robert de Sable, and I will be your host for the remainder of the evening."

"You!" Henrietta shouted. "You are the one responsible for the slaughter of my Griffon Corps?"

Robert looked at Henrietta with a piercing gaze. "Yes! Though I do regret the act, it was necessary to draw the guards away from Your Majesty's ballroom."

Tabitha pointed her staff at Robert, and chanted her spell. _"Windy Icicle."_

Nothing…., not even a slight breeze.

Even her attendant, Irukkuku, could sense that there was something amiss, and it was emanating from the man in front of them.

Sis." Irukkuku whispered to Tabitha. "I cannot change."

It seemed that whatever was preventing the mages from casting their spells had also trapped Irukkuku in her human form.

The other mages in the room quickly pointed their wands at Robert.

"Go on, point them at me if helps you relax!" Robert yelled nonchalantly. "Unfortunately your magic will not work here this evening."

Robert stepped onto the dais and in voice like that of a demon, he addressed the gathered crowd.

"You nobles, have feasted on the souls of the commoners long enough! You sleep in houses, mansions, and castles built on the backs of those less fortunate than you! You, who have been blessed with the ability to perform magic! Miracles of energy and matter! Yet do you use that power for the betterment of others? Do you strive to serve the needs of those who have not been blessed by such gifts? No! You merely squander your abilities on petty wars and play parlor games with the lives others for you own amusement! You take what you want without any regard to those who rightfully earned it!"

Robert spoke these words_, thundered_ them at the nobles before him, as if holding up a mirror for them to see how truly wretched they were.

"Now that your special gifts have been taken from you, do you feel powerful? Huh? Do you feel entitled to the spoils of the peasant's hard labors?" Without magic, you are helpless, sniveling little insects, who deserve nothing less than the heel of my boot!"

Robert than turned to the two Queens next to him.

"But the most pathetic insects in this Godforsaken place are the Royal Families, who lord over all of us, with their so called sanctimonious wisdom, and promises of protection."

"How dare you." Henrietta seethed. Pure hatred was rising in her eyes.

"How dare I? How dare I?" Robert replied. His voice filled with contempt.

"How dare you, _Your Majesty,_" Robert sarcastically snapped back.

"Yes. How dare you stand there and claim to be the leader of the people of Tristain! Did they ask you to serve? Did they choose you? Did they even have a choice? And what if tomorrow they decided they wanted to follow someone else? Would you let them? Would they be allowed the freedom to choose another to lead them? Or would they be branded traitors and handed over to the courts for trial and summary execution?"

Robert drew in close to the Queen and continued to berate her.

"As long as YOU continue to stand there and deny the people the right to choose their own destiny, to determine how, and in what manner they will live their own lives, their minds will never be their own, and they will never be free."

He then turned and once more faced the crowd.

"What I say now, I say to the commoners, the men and women of Tristain who are yearning for freedom, and the chance at a better life. Rise up! Rise today! Resist! Stand up and cry out in one voice, no more! No more will we be servants to an archaic royalty, and their noble lapdogs! No more will you live in luxury. A luxury built off the backs of _our_ labor_, our_ sweat, _our_ blood! You will not hold banquets with our food! Murder our sons, rape our wives and daughters! Tell the nobles of Halkeginia they will answer to us, or we will see that they answer to God! The MOMENT you do this brothers and sisters, you will feel free soil beneath your feet, and free air in your lungs!"

Robert knew that words can indeed be a powerful weapon, capable of inflicting injuries to the soul or soothing it. The right words can spark action, and change the world. The right words can even start a war. The words Robert chose to say next, had already started a war once before. In a far away world, they had sparked a tide of freedom, a tide that eventually spelled the end of monarchies and changed that world forever. It was these words that now rang out in the Tristain Royal Palace.

Robert spoke in the most powerful voice he could muster:

"_WE…. hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain UNALIEANABLE RIGHTS! And that among these are LIFE, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of HAPPINESS!"_

Saito narrowed his eyes. He'd heard these words before, but not here. No one had. These words were not meant for this world.

"_That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the RIGHT of the PEOPLE to alter or abolish it__ and institute a new government!"_

Saito was stunned to his very core. He could not believe what his ears were telling him. He stared at Robert with fierce unblinking eyes. _Who are you?_

Robert finished speaking and motioned to his men, who then approached the two Queens and began to tie them up.

Saito, realizing Robert's intentions, drew Derflinger. The runes on his left hand shown and he could feel his strength and speed increase dramatically. With a cry he charged straight at Robert. Before Saito could reach him, Robert touched an object that he had strapped to his wrist.

_Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee!_

An ear piercing sound filled the ballroom. Commoner and noble alike collapsed to the ground holding their ears in pain. The stained glass window shattered. Irukkuku screamed and passed out from the pain. The only ones who did not seem to be affected were Robert and his men. Saito pitched forward screaming in pain. His forward momentum carried him and he slid to Robert's feet. Derflinger slid past and clattered uselessly against the wall.

Robert leaned over Saito and recognized him.

"Hiraga Saito. The commoner turned noble. Rumor has it that you stood alone against 70,000 of Albion's finest and lived to tell about it." He then looked at Tiffania who was at the rear of the ballroom, still collapsed from the sound that Robert used to attack them.

"Well almost. But in any case I am not foolish enough to cross swords with you…..Gandalfr."

Robert then turned his gaze toward Louise, who was giving him a look of cold fury. He smiled and looked back down at Saito. "And that pink haired lady must be your wife, the void mage."

Saito, still recovering from Robert's sonic attack looked up weakly and asked, "How…How do you…know…..all this?"

Robert leaned in close and whispered to Saito. "I know more than you can possibly imagine. There is more going on here, Saito. This is bigger than you, me, and even all of Halkegenia."

Robert stepped back onto the dais with his men and his royal prisoners. "For now Mr. Hiraga, let's just say I'll be in touch."

Suddenly the wall behind Robert disappeared in a shower of broken brick and mortar. When the dust cleared the _Highlander Sky _filled the view behind him. The vessel flew in close, and Robert's men ran a gang plank over to the castle from the ship.

The men quickly hustled the two Queens, now with their hands bound behind them, onboard. Robert took two wads of cotton out his ears and dropped them to the ground, bowed elegantly to those still in the room and ran aboard the ship.

Saito got up and ran to the collapsed wall just in time to see the _Highlander Sky _sailing off.

**Scene Break**

Beckett ran up to Robert and hugged him like a brother.

"We did it! Now these fools in Albion and elsewhere will know that we a force to reckoned with." Beckett said joyfully.

Robert looked to the side of Beckett at the women he had just taken prisoner. They were standing nearly perfectly in between the twin staircases that led to the ship's bridge on the upper deck. He approached them and looked at them carefully. Robert then turned to his men and gave orders. "I want a firing detail of six men right here, pointing behind the women.

Howell, who was standing next to Beckett, was confused.

"Sir, I'm afraid I don't understand what you're doing. We have the Queens of two countries, we made a clean getaway. You're just going to shoot them?"

"I'm afraid I have to agree with him." Beckett added. "We've destroyed the Griffon Knights, they have no air power to pursue us, and it'll take too long to send word to the nearest ship. We have plenty of time to figure out a use for our prisoners."

Robert looked at both men and spoke. "No we don't. We only have until the void mage casts the World Door." He then looked up at his six volunteers. "Go to the armory and with Beckett and get the weapons."

"Beckett," Robert then said. "Make sure the weapons are loaded with the _proper_ ammunition."

Beckett nodded with understanding, realizing Robert's plan.

"Yes Sir!"

**Scene Break**

Back at the ballroom Saito and Louise stood looking out the gaping hole in the wall. They had sent Guiche, Tiffania, Kirche and the others at the ball to carry out Irukkuku, who was still unconscious from the loud noise that Robert had unleashed, and go and help in the palace grounds while they ponder what to do next. Now alone in the room with Louise, Saito kicked the dusty floor in frustration.

Saito's mind raced furiously with questions. _Who was that guy? How does he know so much about me, about Louise? I swear when I get my hands on him I'll wring his neck until he tells me._

"That's it. There is nothing else we can do. They got away." Saito said mournfully.

Louise, with an expression she most likely learned from her husband, pulled out her wand.

"The hell they have."

She pointed her wand and began chanting.

**Scene Break**

"According to my research, since these two will be her objective, the World Door should open up directly in front of them no matter where they are." Robert said to Beckett while looking at the two now very frightened Queens.

Robert had his firing squad stand directly behind Henrietta and Tabitha, and waited.

After a few moments a small point of light appeared in front of them.

"Here they come!" Robert shouted.

"Ready."

The men cocked their rifles.

"Aim"

They pointed them at the light.

Just then the point of light expanded and opened up, and there stood Louise and Saito on the other side of the portal, still in the ballroom.

"Fire"

**Scene Break**

The World Door opened up and Saito and Louise could see Henrietta and Tabitha on the ship. They were also staring down the barrels of a half-dozen muskets.

"Louise!" Saito shouted as he reached to push his wife aside. He was too late. The rifles went off with a loud _Crack! _And the projectiles impacted with Louise and Saito's bodies. The World Door closed, and they lay on the ballroom floor silent and still.

**Scene Break**

"Noooo!" Henrietta screamed in her grief and rage. "They were my friends! I cared for them! I loved them! I swear on the Founder I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

Tabitha lay next to Henrietta, tears streaming from her eyes. Her eyes were conveying more than just sadness, however. There was no mistaking the look she gave Robert. A look that said: _the moment the opportunity presents itself, I….will….kill….you. _

"Take the weeping women and put them in the cargo hold." Robert ordered. The riflemen picked up the two women and dragged them away.

Beckett moved next to Robert. "Were approaching the city of La Rochelle sir."

"Any sign of pursuit from the Tristainian forces stationed there?"

"None"

"Excellent"

Robert thought for a second and turned to Beckett. "What is the name of this ship?"

"Uh I believe this is the _Highlander Sky_ sir."

"I see. It's a fine name for a fine ship."

Robert stared out into the open for a few moments before continuing.

"However, due to the state of things I think a rechristening is in order."

"What would you christen it sir."

"I would think _Grace of Liberty_ should suit this vessel well."

"It's a fine choice sir."

"Thank you Beckett."

Robert took a drink from a flask he pulled from his hip. After putting it away he swallowed with an "Ahhhhhhhh."

He then looked at Beckett and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Alright then, time to blow it up!"

**Scene Break**

Henrietta and Tabitha were brought back on deck. They could see that Robert's men were engaged in a flurry of activity. Henrietta still fought back the rage that threatened to consume her heart. She had once fought a war with Albion to satisfy her desire for revenge. For her need to avenge Prince Wales' death, she had sent thousands of soldiers to their own deaths. Though she had regretted her actions afterward, Henrietta knew in her heart that now she cared not how many lives it would cost, for killing her best friend and the man she loved, she would see this man's head on a pike.

A short distance away, Beckett and Robert planned their strategy.

"Sir, were about five leagues of shore. Just at the edge of where forces at the shore will still be able to see us. Though, it being the middle of the night, it might be difficult."

"Trust me after this thing blows they'll see it." Robert replied. "Is our vessel waiting for us?"

"Yes sir. They'll come in and pick us up as soon as we hit the water."

"Very well then. I'll take Her Majesty Henrietta. You take the Queen from Gallia."

As Henrietta and Tabitha were being brought over to Robert and Beckett, Henrietta noticed that the men were all wearing strange looking rucksacks on their backs. _What are we doing? _She thought.

Henrietta fought back the urge to struggle when she was brought face to face with Robert. In fact, she was brought very close to him. His men pressed the two together, and began tying them both at the waist with rope. Her arms were tied so that they were around his chest. They almost looked like dance partners. Their faces just inches apart, Henrietta stared deep into Robert's eyes. She could not resist the urge to say, "I am going to kill you. You know that right?"

"I believe you." Robert replied. "I would like to tell you the truth about these events, but I doubt you would believe me."

Henrietta smiled with killing intent. "You're right." She said. "The only thing I want to hear from you is a death rattle."

Robert started giving Henrietta instructions. "No matter what happens from here on out you must not let go of me. Hold on tight."

Henrietta looked puzzled and noticed that Tabitha was similarly lashed to Beckett. However due to Tabitha's small stature, the pairing looked rather comical. Like a child being carried in sort of odd restraint.

Then Henrietta noticed something that made her heart stop cold. _Men were jumping off the ship!_

As they made their way toward the edge of the deck her fury was quickly replaced by fear.

"What are you doing? Are you mad?" She asked.

Robert made no reply. He simply stepped off the ship, followed immediately by Beckett and Tabitha.

Henrietta closed her eyes and screamed.

She felt the air rushing past them as they fell, faster and faster. She wondered how long it would take to hit the water. She had just prepared herself for inevitable death, when suddenly she was jerked hard, and felt herself quickly slowing. Henrietta opened her eyes, and saw that they were floating gently down towards the water. She looked past Robert, and saw the town of La Rochelle in the distance, and the two moons hanging over the ocean. It was beautiful. Then she turned her head upward and her eyes popped. Above Robert was some sort of canvass spread out, catching the air and connected to them by ropes that seemed to come out of his rucksack. She looked around and saw that all the men from the ship were floating down on canvasses that came out of their sacks too. Suddenly something else happened that broke the awe inspiring sight. Henrietta started screaming again.

The _Highlander Sky_ exploded above them in a massive display of flame and smoke. Wood and other debris flew everywhere. The burning hulk pitched down by the stern and with a loud groan plunged into the water. Henrietta, Tabitha, and their captors continued floating away in the distance.

**Scene Break**

Saito's eyes snapped open as he woke up with a sudden intake of air. The ballroom was now dark, the candles blown out. The only light in the room coming from the twin moons in the sky. He suddenly remembered. _We had been shot!_ He looked over to Louise who was lying next to him. He could hear her breathing.

_Oh thank God she's alright. _Saito thought.

He checked his wife over, No bullet holes of any kind, just several bruises. Saito looked himself over and found similar injuries on him, plenty of bruises, but no holes. _But we were shot._ He thought. _I felt the rounds hit us._

He felt around on the dark floor until he found what he was looking for. It was a small leather pouch, shaped and hand sewn into the shape of a musket ball. With some effort Saito was able to tear open the stitching, and pour the pouch's contents on the floor.

_Lentil Beans! _ Saito realized.

_Bean bags?_

_They shot us with bean bags?_

_Why? _Saito then realized the obvious conclusion.

_They didn't want to kill us!_

Saito turned to now opened bag over in his hand many times. Saying to himself out loud over and over. "Bean bags. Why Bean bags?"

"I think those beans should be the least of your concerns."

Saito quickly found the source of the sudden intrusion.

Near a now opened side door on the left side of the room, was a hooded man holding a falchion with a clear, almost transparent blade.

He pulled his hood back and revealed his face. He had a very youthful appearance, almost in his early twenties. His eyes however, betrayed an age that seemed to be much older. Much, much older.

"Konichiwa Saito Chevalier de Hiraga Des Orneires. I am Alexander Dufresne.

Saito stared for a moment popeyed, before he spoke. "Wait did you just speak Japanese?"

Just as Saito finished asking the question, Alexander's fist connected with Saito's cheek. "You!" Alexander railed. "You will have destroyed EVERYTHING!" He then picked Saito up and flung him across the room like a toy. Saito slammed up against the wall, and crashed down to the floor. He slowly sat up and spit out blood.

"Who are you? And why are you-"

Saito flew again into another wall.

Alexander continued to accuse Saito each time he tossed him.

"You betrayed who you were!"

"Betrayed your friends!"

"Your family!"

"Even the woman you love!"

"You were so consumed by your grief that you betrayed your own humanity!"

"And now it seems that even the stars themselves, are to suffer your wrath!"

Saito was now lying flat on his back in the center of the room. He looked over at Louise, still lying unconscious. Alexander stood over Saito, pulled out his falchion, and said to him, "but I can end it now, and save everyone."

"P-please"

Saito was now struggling to form his words.

"Please don't-"

Alexander looked at Saito, incredulous.

"Pleading for mercy? You? The one who has selfishly doomed all that ever is or ever was to oblivion?"

"Please don't-"Saito continued. "Don't….Don't hurt…..Louise."

Alexander looked over at the unconscious pink haired girl on the floor, and looked back at Saito. Alexander raised his sword. Saito closed his eyes. He heard an anguished cry and a loud _Thunk!_

Saito looked over, and buried in to the wood of the opposite wall to a depth of at least four inches, was Alexander's falchion. Alexander picked Saito up and slammed him against that same wall.

"Promise me! Here and now promise me that you will never forget who you are. That no matter what happens; no matter what you lose, you will never lose sight of the hero you are right now. Swear it!"

Saito simply stood stunned against the wall…..silent.

"Swear it!"

"I…..I….swear it."

Alexander let go of Saito and he slowly slid down the wall to the floor. He was losing consciousness. He could feel the darkness closing in.

Alexander had retrieved his blade and was walking away. Saito tried to ask a question, but could not get it out.

"Why…Why…..Why didn't you….."

Just before the darkness overtook him completely, Saito heard the strange hooded man's reply:

"_Because you are not the man I've come to kill."_

"_Not yet."_


	4. Interlude

Author's notes: Ok this is not meant to be a full chapter. It's just a "Meanwhile back at the Ranch…" kind of moment.

So enjoy the short interlude.

_Meanwhile back at the Ranch….._

**Begin Story**

"How are we doing people?"

CIA Deputy Director Mitchell asked the assembled staff in the Operations Center at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

The room was dim with the lights turned low; the only substantial source of light was the main viewing screens that made up almost an entire wall of the operations center. The gaze of everyone in the room was fixed on one screen in particular. It was displaying nothing but static.

An assistant was busily talking into a headset microphone, trying to answer the Deputy Director's question. After a moment he covered the mic with his hand, looked up at Mitchell and said, "Stand by sir."

Mitchell fidgeted nervously in his seat. He stood up when the tension made sitting unbearable. His frayed nerves were justifiable. He'd called in a lot of favors and endured more than a few suspicious looks to chase this ridiculous hunch.

_If this doesn't work….._ He thought.

After a few moments the static snow on the screen began to give way to an image. It was fuzzy at first, but quickly became crystal clear.

The assistant was busy speaking in his microphone again and then looked up at Deputy Director Mitchell.

"Confirmed sir. The Predator has cleared the eclipse. We have a live feed."

_YES!_

Mitchell looked at his assistant and replied, "Alright, start the clock."

"Yes sir. Estimate eight minutes to loss of signal."

"Mr. De Lancie. Is NASA getting this?"

"Yes Deputy Director we are."

Phillip De Lancie's image spoke from the adjacent screen.

"And it is beautiful!"

On the main screen was another world, in all its colorful glory. They saw wide open fields, mountains in the distance, and clear, blue sky.

"Look! There are roads down there!"

Mitchell spoke to his assistant. "See if you can get the sensor operator to follow one those roads. See where it leads to."

After a few moments the men saw the image move and line up with a road, a dirt road from the looks of it. Then after a few moments there was a collective gasp from the people in the room.

"Is that…a village?"

Sure enough on the screen there could be seen a collection of buildings, proof positive that wherever this was, there was civilization. The human race was not alone in the Universe.

"Zoom in there." Mitchell ordered. "De Lancie you seeing this?"

"I'm seeing it! I'm seeing it! Oh my God look at them all! Is that a market?"

The drone's camera had captured a group of people in what appeared to be a town square, hustling and bustling, in what could only be described as an open air market.

De Lancie continued exalting. "They look just like us." He breathed.

"How many people do you think live there?"

De Lancie thought for a moment. "This is just speculation, but I'd say no more than a few hundred, maybe a thousand."

The drone continued onward, giving the viewers shots of farmers tending their fields, their flocks of livestock, and their homes. The men and women in the room continued to stare in awe for what seemed to be an eternity. Suddenly, the assistant called out.

"Three minutes to loss of signal."

Mitchell began issuing orders. "Alright tell the pilots to get the drone away from the village. We don't want that thing crashing down there. Have them look for a place put it down, like a lake or a river or something."

Mitchell then addressed the NASA scientist on the other screen.

"Are you getting the data you need from your sensor package?"

Phillip De Lancie looked off screen, seemingly at his computer.

"Yes Director we are. Just have them keep our sensors pointed at the sun for as long as you can. The more sunlight we can analyze the better."

"Sir the pilots have found a lake. We're going ditch there."

They continued to stare intently at the screen for as long as they could. They watched the lake grow ever larger on the screen, closer and closer, until finally, the screen went blank. Deputy Director Daniel Mitchell ran his hand through his hair and exhaled deeply. He looked at the screen still bearing the image of the NASA scientist.

"Did you get what you needed Phil?"

"Oh yeah! We got it!" De Lancie then looked directly at the camera." We'll be in touch." And his image vanished from the screen.

Mitchell then turned to address everyone in the room.

"Ok people, I don't have to remind you that everything you just saw is classified. DO NOT breathe a word of this to anyone!"

Mitchell began staring at his laptop, watching the playback of the images recorded by the unmanned craft they just sent to another world.

"How much do those MQ-1s cost?" He asked nonchalantly.

"About four million dollars, "his assistant replied.

Mitchell continued to stare at his laptop.

_Worth every penny._

**Scene Break**

NASA scientist Phillip De Lancie stood before the staff at the NASA Astrophysics Department looking very excited, all business, but excited. He paced, gestured and spoke loudly with his hands as he gave the people in front of him their new marching orders.

"Everything that you are currently working on stops, right now."

He pointed to the image on the conference room screen.

"This is now our number one priority. This is what we are searching for."

He looked each and every member of the team in the eye to emphasize just how serious he was about this.

"You get on the horn to every single one of those observatory jockeys, and you tell them the same thing. Whatever it is they are doing, is dropped. I want every observatory in the world searching every star in every piece of sky for this!"

Again, for emphasis he pointed at the image on the screen.

"Because the person who finds me this, gets their name in the history books. I'm talking right up there with Galileo, Copernicus, and Neal Armstrong!

"You tell them to analyze EVERY….SINGLE….STAR! I don't care how long it takes! I don't care if it takes the rest of your lives, your children's lives, and your grandchildren's lives! You do not stop searching until you find THIS!"

Once again, he leveled his finger at the screen.

He looked at his staff.

"You still here? C'mon let's go!" He said, clapping his hands together.

The men and women rose from their seats and quickly exited the room. Phillip De Lancie continued to stare at the image on the wall. He kept repeating the same word to himself over and over again, as if it was a lullaby.

"_Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful."_

The image was a rectangle with bands of color laid out side by side, the result of taking light and splitting it into its individual components. This particular image was produced by the instruments onboard the predator drone that just flew into the eclipse.

It was a spectrogram of the Halkeginian sun.


	5. 3 Her Royal Highness Louise the Zero

Author's Notes: I do not own characters from Zero No Tsukaima. All credit goes to Noboru Yamaguchi.

Enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to review!

Thanks!

**Begin Story**

_Louise was in pain. Again_

_Lying on the stone floor, she could see Saito with Derflinger stuck in his chest._

_For what must be at least the tenth time, Louise watched her husband die, and that elf bring him back._

_It was the same each time. The shadowy elf would approach Saito, pull Derflinger out and shove a glowing round object in the wound. Then after a blinding light from the wound it would heal, and the elf would whisper in Saito's ear. _

_Not everything was the same however. _

_Each time Louise experienced this dream, things would become clearer. The surroundings would come in to sharper focus. The features of the elf would appear more distinct and background sounds would be more discernible. _

_The object that was used to heal Saito became something more recognizable. While it was once just a glowing sphere, now Louise could see that it was some sort of jewel, or stone. It was rather large, however. It completely filled the hand of the elf. It glowed with a white pulsating radiance, which seemed to come from within the stone. _

_That was not all that was different. _

_When the elf leaned in close to whisper his message to Saito, Louise found that she could understand it. Understand, and be chilled by it. _

"_Now be cursed with life everlasting, and denied your Love for eternity."_

_Then as before the elf clutched Derflinger and approached Louise. And like everything else in this dream, his features became much more distinct. However, the more Louise could discern about this elf, the more afraid she became._

_This particular elf did not have the serious or regal bearing of his kin. There was something dangerous and demonic about the aura given off by this creature. What approached the now helpless Louise was nothing short of pure evil, and searing with hatred. _

_Derflinger rose and fell._

_Louise died once more._

**Scene Break**

The dark grey skies seemed to reflect perfectly the mood of Tristania. After receiving reports from soldiers stationed at the port city La Rochelle of the exploding _Highlander Sky, _Queen Henrietta's servants, staff, and administrators immediately feared the worst. Dozens of warships were dispatched to find some evidence or sign of Queen Charlotte or Henrietta's survival. They found none. Charlotte's mother and Cardinal Mazarin both declared thirty days of mourning for their respective kingdoms. That was two weeks ago.

It is customary that upon the passing of a monarch or anyone of sufficiently high standing, their remains are laid in state at the Cathedral of Brimir, and then after a prescribed amount of time for viewing and ceremonies, the deceased is laid to rest with the remains of their ancestors, or as is the case with members of the Royal Family, in the Cathedral's Royal Crypt. However, in the case of Queens Henrietta and Charlotte, there was no corpse left for viewing and burial, so the ceremonies had to be modified to take that in to account.

The funerals were held jointly in Tristania, the scene of the kidnappings that led to their tragic deaths. The service was presided over by none other than Cardinal Mazarin himself, with two empty coffins symbolizing the beloved lost Queens. Every noble family in Halkeginia was represented at the funeral. The Cathedral was packed well beyond capacity, with mourners spilling out into the streets. Then there was large commoner turnout to contend with. Despite Robert's insistence that Henrietta was not a legitimate representative of the people, she was beloved by the commoners for not raising taxes and treating them fairly and with dignity. She was known as a very kind monarch, who truly cared for her people.

After prayers, the Cardinal set about delivering the eulogy for Henrietta. He spoke of how he had known her since she was a baby, and how much she loved the people, and how hard she worked to make them happy. He also spoke of her resolve and determination during the war with Reconquista, and the Ancient Dragon crisis. By the time he was nearing the end, there was not a dry eye in the audience. Cardinal Mazarin closed his speech.

"During her short time with us, Henrietta became known as the Flower of Tristain. Now with her passing, there are those that would tell us that flower has withered away, and left us forever. I say nay. For the delicate flower known as Henrietta de Tristain, will forever bloom brightly, and colorfully, in the hearts of all Tristainian citizens forever."

Next it was Charlotte's mother, who took the podium to deliver her eulogy. Though she could not finish, due to her rather understandable emotional state, she was able to articulate that Charlotte's sister Josette, would be ascending to the throne in her place. As for Henrietta's successor, Cardinal Mazarin was working as hard as he could to move that along.

**Scene Break**

"Please Your Majesty." Cardinal Mazarin said while kneeling. "For the sake of Tristain, and for the sake of your people, we must begin the coronation."

It was Louise the Cardinal knelt before.

Louise, flanked by her husband Saito, her parents the Duke and Duchess La Valliere, as well as her sisters Eleonor, and Cattleya, was just asked to assume the throne of Tristain.

"Her Majesty the Queen declared you her sister, and made you her designated successor." The Cardinal continued. "The throne now falls to you Your Highness. Please I beg of you, on behalf of the people, you must accept this responsibility."

Louise was in tears. "I am not Queen. Princess-sama is Queen. I don't want her throne, I never did." Louise could barely make her words heard through her sobs. Saito stood beside her, gently hugging her shoulders. It truly made his heart ache to watch his wife cry. Louise was his everything, and had once stood in front of a 70,000 strong army to prove that, but now he felt as helpless as a newborn puppy. He would give anything to stop her tears. Yet all could do was absorb them.

Louise's mother the Duchess approached the still kneeling Cardinal and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. The Cardinal looked up at the Duchess.

"Please Cardinal." The Duchess spoke. "Give me a moment with my daughter."

Cardinal Mazarin stood, bowed elegantly, said, "As you wish my lady," and left the room.

The Duchess La Valliere went to Louise and gently took her daughter's hands into her own. She looked into Louise's eyes while she spoke:

"Louise, why did you go to war despite the wishes of your father and me?" She asked gently.

"Because the Princess needed my help, she needed my Void to help win the war."

"Even though you knew that you might die."

Louise nodded.

"In fact it's true that you almost did die correct?"

Again Louise nodded, and looked at Saito.

Duchess Karin La Valliere also briefly turned her gaze toward Saito. In truth she had never been able to forgive those arrogant generals who sent her precious daughter to die on some suicide mission to secure their retreat. After the war was over and she heard about what they had ordered, The Duchess was sorely tempted to deal with them herself. It was only out of deference to the Queen that she let Henrietta handle the matter.

Conversely, she respected Saito greatly for taking Louise's place on that field. Though her noble's pride prevented her from admitting that out loud to a commoner such as Saito, she was eternally grateful to him for what he did that day, her and her husband the Duke both. That may have been why despite their objections to their differences in social status, they gave their blessing to Louise and Saito's union. Saito had already proven himself worthy that day on the battlefield in Albion.

The Duchess continued addressing Louise.

"And did you not also give up your name and nobility, to cross the border into another country for the sake of a friend against the orders and wishes of the Queen?"

Louise shuddered slightly while nodding her affirmative, remembering her mother's "punishment" for defying the law and the Queen to go and rescue Tabitha from her uncle, the cruel and psychotic King Joseph of Gallia.

"And there you have it Louise, my little Louise." Her mother said softly. The Queen did not promote you simply out of blind loyalty or patronage. She recognized within you, the ability to follow your heart, and do what was right regardless of the opinions of others, or the consequences."

Karin firmly grasped Louise's shoulders and looked ever deeper into her daughter's eyes.

"Now that she is gone, Henrietta needs your strength one last time. Not for her sake, but for the sake of this Kingdom and its people. Will you deny Henrietta's last request?"

With that Louise straightened up. Her mother was right. Henrietta was her best friend, and she would do anything she asked her to do, even take the reins of a nation. Louise looked at her mother and gave the Duchess a firm nod. Karin smiled and called for Cardinal Mazarin to re-enter the room.

"What is it I can do for the Lady?" The Cardinal asked.

Louise, with a look a great determination said,

"Begin preparations for the Coronation at once."

**Scene Break**

Being a floating island, the only way to reach the country of Albion was by ship. When Robert and his gang, bearing the two kidnapped Royals landed in the water, they were immediately picked up by a ship that had been waiting for them. A large vessel with a wide fantail, the ship sailed the rest of the way to Albion by water. It wasn't until they were beneath the floating continent that the rebel ship rose up and floated up into the secret under passage once used by Prince Wales, to escape detection by Reconquista. The limestone caverns that led directly into the ruined fortress of Newcastle, were hidden, and known only by a few, the perfect place to stage a revolution that would change Halkeginia forever.

The Queens were being held in a makeshift cell secured by iron bars inside the fortress itself. Newcastle still bore the scars of the Reconquista assault on Albion's Royal Family, an assault that resulted in the utter destruction of the Royals. Although the fortress itself remained a mess, Robert's men had begun some reconstruction. In addition to making cells to hold prisoners many other rooms were rebuilt and once again made livable. Also the chapel was reconstructed so that worship services could still be held. Though Robert himself was not a devout follower of Brimir, many of those under his command were, and he believed that each man should have the freedom to worship if he so chose.

It was in one of these cells that Henrietta and Tabitha spent each day. Despite being prisoners of rebels who did not particularly care for them or what they stood for, the women were extremely well cared for. They were given a change of clothes each day, fresh linen to sleep on, and access to facilities as needed. Also Robert provided them with a stack of books from his own personal library to read while in captivity. In addition to all this Robert also gave explicit orders to those who would guard them that Henrietta and Tabitha were not to be harmed in any way. Though they were rebels and fugitives, they were not savages. The prisoners were to be given all the treatment that would be expected of an honored guest.

However on the third day of their stay at Newcastle Robert himself entered their cell and took a seat opposite the captive Queens. He said, "Good Morning Your Majesties", and waited for a reciprocated reply. None came. Tabitha being Tabitha, had her nose buried in one of Robert's books, and Henrietta, who refused to look at Robert, turned her face away in disgust. Undaunted Robert merely opened a book he brought with him and began reading. After about an hour Robert stood up bowed and said, "Until next time," and left. From that day forward the scene was repeated daily. Robert would enter, bid them good morning, sit and read his book. After an hour he would bid them farewell and leave. Repeated day in and day out, over and over.

After three weeks of this, Robert again came into their cell like he always did, and again Tabitha would not take her eyes off what she was reading and Henrietta refused to acknowledge him. Today, however, Henrietta did eye Robert out the corner of her eye with a slight interest. She noticed that he brought the same book with him every day. It was thick with a cover made of leather. The front had a maroon border that went around the edge of the cover enclosing a black interior. In the center of the cover was the title, made with embossed gold lettering. Unfortunately, Henrietta could not make out the title from this distance. The cover was slightly worn, and smooth from repeated handling. She could tell the book was very old, but it was in remarkably good condition, obviously well taken care of. Henrietta came to the conclusion that this book must be some sort of treasured possession of Robert's.

As Robert stood up to leave, as he always did at the end of his hour, Henrietta finally took the occasion to speak.

"What is that book you keep bringing in with you?"

Robert looked down at the book in his hand, and back to Henrietta.

"It once belonged to my grandfather. Upon his passing, it became mine."

"Your grandfather could read and write as well?"

Robert sat back down to continue his conversation with the Queen.

"If by that you mean that because he was a commoner, it would be unusual for him to be able to own books, much less read them?"

Henrietta nodded.

Robert chuckled, and chose his words carefully.

"Though he may have been an ordinary man, there was nothing common about my grandfather. He believed that a good education and the knowledge gained from such endeavors were among the only things that no one could take from you."

Henrietta continued to stare at Robert.

"He also believed that a true measure of a man was not what he possessed here," Robert said, grasping his bicep, "But what he possessed up here." He finished, now pointing at his forehead.

Henrietta kept looking at Robert, while thinking to herself.

_He is no ordinary commoner._

Though being careful not to change her outward expression, Henrietta was slightly intrigued by Robert. She could not put her finger on it, but there was something strange about this man. He did not have the bearing of a commoner, of someone who grew up living the harsh realities of peasant life. This man had a different bearing altogether. Even more so it was a bearing that she had seen before, and could therefore recognize.

_He reminds me of Saito._

Upon thinking of her friend and Love, Henrietta's anger immediately returned. Louise and Saito were dead, and this man was responsible. She clenched her fists in her seat, and looked at Robert with that same glare that she had back on the _Highlander Sky_.

Robert seemed to be able to sense this change in Henrietta, because the moment her expression changed, he reached into his clothes, and pulled out a small object. He stood up and offered it to Her.

She took it and looked at it curiously. She held it up and looked at Robert with an expression.

_What is this?_ Her face read.

In Henrietta's hands was a small leather pouch, with hand stitching, and shaped just like a musket ball.

"That was the ammunition loaded into the muskets that were used to stop your friends from rescuing you."

Henrietta turned the leather ball in her hands over and over and contemplated it, still not grasping the meaning of this.

"It is filled with lentils. When it strikes flesh after being fired from a rifle it is quite painful, but not lethal."

Henrietta's hand containing the bean bag bullet dropped to her lap and she stared at Robert with a surprised expression. Surprised and hopeful.

"You mean, they're not….They're still…"

"…Alive?" Robert finished for her. "Yes, Your Majesty. Your friends are very much alive. I never intended to harm Louise or her familiar. I merely needed to stop them from boarding the ship."

Immense relief washed over Henrietta, Tabitha too, for she had been listening to the conversation while pretending to read. Both women began to cry. Then Henrietta slammed both of her fists down, and shot Robert a cold stare.

"Why didn't you explain this earlier?" She yelled. "We've been sitting here for three weeks believing them to be dead! Why did you not just tell us? Do you have any notion as to how cruel that was?"

"I've been in here every day wanting to tell you, but because of your anger, you were not ready to listen." Robert replied.

Henrietta sat trembling all over. True, she had not been all that inclined to listen to anything Robert had to say, but still, to let her believe that her friends were dead all this time was unforgivable.

Robert continued his explanation to the Queen: "It is not in my best interests to kill those two friends of yours. In fact, they are the centerpiece of my plan."

Henrietta looked up at Robert, shocked expression fixed firmly on her face.

"You are using them? They're just pawns in your little war against the Nobility?"

"Call it what you will, but you did make Louise Valliere your sister, and declare that she was next in line for the throne of Tristain."

Henrietta sat perfectly still. The enormity of what was happening just now was beginning to dawn on her.

"And now the world thinks that you are dead. Your friend the void mage should be crowned anytime now….." Robert paused and continued, "…..along with her commoner husband."

"Jure Uxoris." Henrietta breathed.

"Very good Your Majesty. Yes, an ancient law meaning _by right of his wife_. By that ancient tradition any man who marries a woman who then becomes Queen, is entitled to share the throne with her. And that tradition does not discriminate between commoner and noble social statuses."

"That's because it is an ancient law. When it was first used the thought of a commoner ever being in a position to ascend to the throne through marriage was unimaginable."

"And yet here we are. This turn of events will force the hand of the nobility. They will demand that Saito be removed from the throne. Louise of course being one of the few nobles that actually married for love rather than political or social convenience will refuse, and then Your Majesty the war will begin in earnest!"

Queen Henrietta just sat there, speechless.

"The nobles will never accept a commoner on the throne. Their noble pride won't allow it. They will turn against the monarchy and declare open war. With no one else to turn to, the new Queen will have to accept the assistance of the Commoner's Army. Then they will be in a far better position to negotiate concessions and for much greater political and social freedoms. And the best part of all this is Saito, the crown jewel of the entire scheme. And yes Your Majesty, pun definitely intended. As a commoner on the throne Saito will be uniquely positioned to be the ideal arbiter of those negotiations, the perfect bridge to a brighter future."

Henrietta could not believe what she was hearing. Her friends were alive true, but now they were being put into grave danger. Robert had just made them a target, the biggest target in all of Halkeginia. There were many ambitious nobles out there, and more than a few would not think twice about murder if it meant taking the throne of Tristain. But even these thoughts were not what made her feel the worst. The real guilty thoughts came from the fact that it was Henrietta herself who made all this possible. Her promotion of Louise to being second in line for the throne now may end up costing the lives of the two people she loved most in the world.

As Robert got up to leave, Henrietta sat with her head in her hands.

_What have I done?_

**Scene Break**

Louise and Saito stood in an adjacent room in Tristain's Cathedral of Brimir waiting for Cardinal Mazarin to introduce them. A week ago this had been a place of mourning, the place where the people of Tristain had bid farewell to Queens Henrietta and Charlotte. Today, however, it was to be a place of celebration. A new queen was about to be crowned, and new era for Tristain was about to begin.

To say that Louise was nervous about today's events would be an understatement. _Distressed_ might be more suitable. She looked at her husband standing next to her. He looked just as stressed out as she did.

"Hey Saito."

"What."

"Wake up."

"Huh?"

"I've already pinched myself. So I know this isn't my dream. Therefore the only reasonable conclusion must be that this is your dream. So wake up!"

With that Louise stomped on Saito's foot. Saito started hopping up and down holding his foot asking "Hey. What was that for?"

"Hmmm, didn't work." Louise said.

"I'm not asleep!"

Louise crossed her arms and fumed.

"Besides," Saito muttered, "If this were my dream, there'd be a lot more girls and a lot more skin."

_Clang!_

Louise pounded on Saito's head with her fist.

"I heard that dog." Louise growled.

"Ow! ow! ow! ow! ow! Hey!" Saito complained while giving Louise a serious expression.

"Don't give me that look." Louise countered. "You deserved that one and we both know it!"

"Louise" Saito said, suddenly serious. "When we go out there, we need to look normal, happy even."

"I know. I don't think I'm ready for this Saito."

Saito took Louise's hand into his own, and looked at her. She was so beautiful. Louise was dressed in the purple Sovereigns Robes of Tristainian Royalty. He placed his hand against Louise's cheek, and said, "No matter what happens. We will face this together."

"I know." Louise replied. "Because there is no way I'm doing this by myself. That's why you are also going to be crowned King."

"WHAT?"

"Cardinal Mazarin, Mother, and Father, weren't happy about it either, but I insisted that you share the throne with me Saito." Louise gave her husband an almost pleading look. "I need you. I-I can't do this by myself."

"Won't the nobles get angry about this Louise? A commoner on the throne?"

"You're not a commoner anymore Saito. You are the hero of Tristain! Your achievements are legendary in their own right. If the nobles can't see that then it's their problem."

Saito decided not to argue anymore. When Louise gets that look, he knew there would be no changing her mind. _Me King! _He thought. He wondered what his parents would think about this!

Just then Cardinal Mazarin announced the new King and Queen of Tristain. Louise and Saito entered the room and took their seats on the coronation chairs on the dais at the Church Altar. They entered to thunderous applause, and while they saw many friendly, and familiar faces in the room. Guiche, Montmorancy, Osmand, Kirche, Tiffania, Scarron, and others, they also could not help but notice a few scowls on the faces of some of the nobles in the room.

The Cardinal and the Archbishops took up positions on all four corners of the church and had the members of nobility swear loyalty to the new monarchs. All swore the oath, but more than a few did so with less than pleasant expressions on their faces.

Then Cardinal Mazarin approached Saito and Louise. He recited the Oath of Enthronement, and Louise had to affirm it.

"Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern all the peoples of the Kingdom of Tristain according to its respective laws and customs?"

Louise spoke in a clear, determined voice. "I solemnly promise to do so."

"Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?"

Again Louise answered, "I will."

"Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel of the Founder Brimir?"

Louise replied once more, "All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God."

The Cardinal then repeated the same Oath to Saito, who in turn gave the same replies.

Then Cardinal Mazarin held up the Crown of Tristain, and gently placed it upon Louise's head. He then took a separate crown and placed it on Saito's head.

He then took a step back and spoke loud enough for all to hear.

"I now proclaim you King and Queen of Tristain! Sovereign of its people, its laws and its prosperity!" He then turned and faced the crowd.

"God Bless the King! God Bless the Queen!"

The crowd chanted,

"_God Bless the King! God Bless the Queen!"_

"_God Bless the King! God Bless the Queen!"_

However, in all the chanting and celebration, no one noticed several nobles quietly get up out of their seats, and slip out of the Cathedral, looks of pure hatred and rage upon their faces.

But while the nobility sulked, the peasants literally danced in the streets.

A commoner now sat on a throne in Halkeginia!


	6. 4 Alliances

Author's notes: Sorry for the slight delay in updating. I've had a rather eventful week. It seemed as though every time I tried to sit down and write this chapter, something would always come up and get in the way. I have also had to deal with the stress of starting a new job. But fear not readers! Even though my free time will not be nearly as abundant, I am absolutely committed to finishing this story. I am having a blast writing this.

So enjoy and please keep the reviews coming!

**Begin Story**

The elves of the Sahara have been a thorn in the sides of Halkeginians for nearly their entire existence. Since the days of the Founder and his fellow mages exile from the _Holy Land_, human and elven relations have been rather frosty, and that is the understatement of all time. Simply put, elves and humans hated each other. That was the way it had been for millennia, and there was nothing to indicate that would change anytime soon.

However, history or fate it would seem has a sense of humor, or at least a delicious sense of irony. With the onset of the Ancient Dragon crisis, the two races were forced to work together. While the Dragon did have an appetite for the Void Mages that the elves so readily despised, they were pragmatic enough to realize that once the hated humans were killed off, the Dragon would surely turn its attention and voracious appetite towards the elves. It would only be a matter of time before the elf lands were turned into a sea of fire, and the elven population reduced to ash.

To quote the famed Headmaster of Tristain's Magic Academy,"_Where's the fun in that?"_

Although history will record that it was Gandalfr and his amazing Steel Dragon as being the decisive element that turned the tide of battle in favor of the humans, it was the timely arrival of the elves that ultimately saved Queen Henrietta and the rest of the combined human battle fleet from annihilation.

The opportunity to reverse thousands of years of mutual distrust and hatred was not lost on either party. This could be the spark that at long last begins the thaw of these frosty relations. It was a chance that Queen Henrietta certainly intended to pursue. But as with so many other things, politics got in the way. For example, there was the Church of the Brimir faith led by a new pope, who was rather eager to honor the memory of the late St Aegis the 32nd by launching a new crusade as soon as possible. Not to mention securing his own place in history as well.

Despite the assistance from the elves, the Church was utterly opposed to normal diplomatic relations with the heathens of the desert. However Queen Henrietta undauntedly decided that she would pursue reconciliation with the elves by any means possible, even in secret if necessary.

But that was then, and this was now. The beloved Queen was gone, and Tristain was now under the rule of one of the Void Mages. From the point of view of the elves, this was a very troubling development, and their concerns were certainly understandable. After all Tristain was not the first kingdom to be governed by a user of Void. The other kingdom to be so ruled was Gallia, and everyone knew how that turned out.

So when an official request from Tristain requesting an envoy to discuss terms of an alliance reached the elven governing council, more than a few eyebrows were raised. There was the usual calls for caution, and suspicion, but even so the prospect of an actual peace with a Halkeginian nation, codified in a signed treaty, was simply too tempting to ignore. Furthermore, this particular Void Mage was already well known to the elves, as was her husband. So the only question became who to send. But the debate over that question did not last long, the choice was rather obvious.

**Scene Break**

"Lord Bidashal?"

Saito called from across the table in the Tristain Royal Palace Dining Hall.

"How's the food?" Saito asked with eager eyes.

Lord Bidashal looked up from his plate at Saito and smiled weakly.

"Well it is quite…interesting", replied Bidashal.

The elven envoy sent to negotiate the peace with Tristain, Lord Bidashal was indeed a very well traveled elf. He had sampled many new and exotic foods from lands well beyond Halkeginia, but what he was contemplating before him was something on a new level completely. An entire meal compressed and placed between two slices of bread. It apparently was a delicacy from the King's home world.

"What did you call this again?" Bidashal asked.

"A sandwich."

"Ahhh, I see."

Bidashal continued to poke at the meal with curiosity. He had honestly never encountered anything quite like it.

"What um, is in it?"

Saito looked at the elf and smiled. He had never imagined that something as ubiquitous as a sandwich could be seen as so new and exotic, even if this was another world. Saito decided that he better give an answer quickly, lest the elf think they were trying to poison him.

"Bacon, lettuce, and tomato, with a mayonnaise dressing, on my world it's called a BLT."

Sitting next to Saito, Louise glared at her husband. She had sampled many foods while in Saito's world and knew that this simple meal did not belong at a formal occasion such as this. After Lord Bidashal left, she would make a note to instruct Siesta that from now on Saito was no longer allowed to decide meals for state dinners.

Bidashal took a cautious bite of his sandwich, chewed slowly, and after a few moments smiled broadly.

"Mmmmmmm." He said. "It is actually quite delicious."

Saito smiled, grateful that the little slice of home that he brought to this occasion was well received.

After the meal, however, it was time to get down to business.

They left the dining hall, and retired to a small sitting room. This was a much more informal, and more comfortable, setting to discuss the issues at hand.

Lord Bidashal stood leaning forward against the fireplace mantle, staring into the flames as he addressed his Royal hosts.

"I must be honest Your Majesties the elven council was very surprised, and concerned when your request for an envoy arrived."

"What concerns do you have?" asked Louise. "We meant exactly what we said. We seek an alliance with the elves."

"And the council rejoices at the prospect, but….." He paused and then continued "….any discussion about the future of elven/human relations must include the more than six millennia of hostilities between our people. That is something I'm afraid neither of us can ignore."

Saito decided to speak up.

"On my world we have an expression, the elephant in the room. The elephant being a large unavoidable issue that no one wants to discuss. So let's just bring this out into the open."

Saito licked his lips before continuing.

"Louise is a Void Mage. Someone who wields what you call the _Devil's Power_. This means that when the Pope inevitably calls for yet another crusade, she will be required to answer that call, as she is an essential part of that plan. The thought of making a pact with someone who wields that power, and is bound by her duty by both as a Queen and a user of Void to participate in the war against the elves is what makes the council uncomfortable. "

"Yes," Lord Bidashal replied, surprised at the boy's candor. "That was one of the concerns brought up by the council. What assurances do we have that this alliance is not just another way for the Romalian priests to seek a weakness in our defenses, and exploit it?"

It was Louise's turn to speak.

"I will NOT participate in any crusade against the elves. When the call for Tristain to send troops to aid in retaking the Holy Land comes I will outright refuse."

Bidashal approached the still seated Louise and knelt next to her. He looked at her with a sincere expression and spoke earnestly.

"Your Majesty surely you must know, that the Pope will take your refusal to participate in the crusade as an act of defiance. He will try to either coerce you into cooperating, or have you murdered outright. Your Void power will then pass on to someone else that he can manipulate more easily. "

"When word reaches Romalia of the agreement that I am seeking with your people the Pope will send a swift reprisal regardless. Besides, the Kingdoms of Halkeginia are busy trying to put down a rebellion by the commoners. They are in no condition to mount a crusade, and won't be for a long time."

Louise then shifted uncomfortably in her chair, and looked sadly into the fireplace.

"There is more." Louise continued. "When I took the throne, Saito was made King as well. This was done at my request. Shortly after the coronation, a group of nobles approached me at court and requested that Saito be removed. I gave them an immediate refusal."

Bidashal's eyes widened.

"You did what? The nobles will withdraw their support for you."

"I know."

"They will rally others to oppose you."

"I know."

"They may even attempt to overthrow you."

"I KNOW!"

Louise stood up shaking with anger. Her fists clenched tightly at her sides.

Lord Bidashal brought his face close to the Queen's and asked, "Then why may I ask did Your Majesty make such a request?"

Louise stood silently for several moments, the tension hanging heavily in the air between Louise, Saito, and Bidashal. Finally Louise broke the silence.

"Because it was the right thing to do. He is my husband, and has just as much a right to rule as I do. This man…" Louise said pointing at Saito "has saved the lives of every living person in this land. Every one of those worthless, self-centered nobles owes this man their lives. "

Louise's voice slowly grew louder and more furious as she spoke, each word coming straight from her heart.

"If it wasn't for my Saito, there would not be a Halkeginia! No nobility, no kingdom, no nothing! Halkeginia owes Saito a debt that it can never repay!"

Louise stood with her face looking down, bangs covering her eyes.

"And also, Saito did these things, not for glory, or fame." She looked up and stared straight at Bidashal, "He did them for me…. For me! He was always there saving me!"

Louise moved next to Saito and took his hand. She continued in a soft, reverent voice.

"Because Saito always stood by me, I will stand by him."

Saito looked at Louise with a tender expression, clearly touched by what his wife had just said. He could not help himself. His face inched closer to Louise. Now, in this moment, he loved her more than ever.

Lips began to touch.

"Ahem"

Bidashal cleared his throat, breaking the moment.

Louise and Saito suddenly separated, blushing deeply as they tried to cover their embarrassment.

Bidashal's expression betrayed no opinion of the sudden display of affection between the two. He simply smiled and said, "Shall we get down to specifics then?"

They talked all night, bargaining, negotiating and compromising. All the hallmarks of great political theater, and in the end, the evening was fruitful. They managed to hammer out an agreement. The elves pledged to support Tristain in the event that they were attacked by another nation. And the monarchy of Tristain made a pledge of non-aggression in the event the Pope decided to launch another crusade, (Which is what the elves were really after all along.) In addition to these conditions, both parties agreed upon the eventual establishment of permanent ambassadorships in order to foster closer ties and cultural understanding between the two races. By morning history had been made.

**Scene Break**

Saito escorted Lord Bidashal back to his Dragon, which would fly to La Rochelle where he would board his airship to return to Nephthys, the land of the elves. However, before departing, Lord Bidashal wanted to present Saito with a gift.

Bidashal spread his arms wide and spoke loudly.

"_Spirits that exist in unison with nature, I command you in the name of the ancient contract. Condense in place I desire!"_

Flowing like water, streams of a white like essence began to condense from the air and form a spherical object in the center of the space created by Bidashal's hands. The sphere was small at first, but became larger as more of the spirits of nature condensed within it. After a short time, the object was complete. It was a large, translucent stone with a glowing white interior. Bidashal plucked the floating stone out of the air and handed it to Saito.

"This is a nature stone, created from the spirits that govern the balance of nature. I present it to you as a token of our new relationship."

Saito took the stone and examined it with great curiosity. It was rather large, it filled his entire hand.

Lord Bidashal continued, "You will find that your friend the half-elf will recognize this particular stone. Being that it is of the same type the enabled your recovery after your fight against the Albion army."

Saito's eyes grew wide. "I-I don't know what to say…Thank you."

"No Saito," Bidashal said softly, "Thank you. For the first time in many years, we have reason to look upon the future with optimism."

Lord Bidashal climbed aboard his dragon, and leaped into the sky. Saito did not take his eyes off of him until he left his sight completely.

Saito slowly walked back toward the Palace, gazing at the stone in his hand.

**Scene Break**

In the cold damp atmosphere of the forest, a horse stood silently, its rider waiting patiently for others to arrive. Though it was in the middle of the night, meeting in this manner was the only way to guarantee the secrecy this occasion required.

Wearing a black cloak and holding his wand at the ready, the rider gave off an intimidating aura, almost as intimidating as the sounds and shadows of the forest around him.

Almost.

The rider sighed, as if something weighed heavily upon him. Though he was the one who called this meeting, it was not something that he took pleasure in. Truth was the mere fact that this meeting had become necessary meant that his way of life was about to be irreversibly changed. Whether or not this change would be for good or ill had yet to be determined.

Sudden noise got his attention; He held his wand up, ready to strike in case he had been found out.

Tentatively, the figure on the horse called out a name.

"Bartholomew?"

"Here Alastair"

Behind Bartholomew, the newcomer, were eight other horsemen, all wearing hooded cloaks with masks, eager not to be seen. Ten mages in all were in attendance this evening.

"Lord Teague," Bartholomew addressed Alastair, "I know why you have requested this meeting, and I have only made myself present, in the hope that I may dissuade you from this dangerous course of action."

"And your presence Lord Kearns," Alastair Teague addressed Bartholomew right back, "Has been requested so that I may persuade you that it is time to take a stand and protect our traditions. To stand up and say enough is enough."

"But Alastair, "Bartholomew pleaded, "I beg you come to your senses. What you speak of is treason." Bartholomew whispered this last word, as if the Gods themselves would become angry at its utterance.

"Treason would be betraying the Crown I once served. That crown no longer exists. It was defiled out of existence by that harlot Henrietta."

Bartholomew drew himself close to Alastair, pointed at him while nearly gritting his teeth.

"Do not speak ill of the dead Alastair. Your father taught you better than that!"

"Henrietta was a weak, foolish girl whose favoritism of the Vallieres destroyed all that we hold dear, who bankrupted our Kingdom on an idiotic invasion just to soothe her own ego. My father gave his life in that pointless war against Albion, killed by his own men who turned against him at Saxe Gotha!"

"I know that." Bartholomew said sadly. He placed his hand on Alastair's shoulder.

"Your father and I went way back. We were schoolmates at the Magic Academy, and we came up through the Knight Corps together. During the war I promised him that I would look after you if anything ever happened to him. But Alastair, you're going down a dangerous path here, and I am not sure if I can follow."

"We are nobles." Alastair countered. "I remember when that meant something, when we served a Crown with honor and dignity. Not this abomination that claims the throne now."

Alastair raised his voice, now addressing the eight other mages behind Bartholomew.

"What say the rest of you?" Alastair pointed at them. "You have commoners challenging your rule on your own lands, a Kingdom ruled by a mage who can't even cast a proper spell, and some commoner mongrel who isn't even fit to lap up the scraps from my meal off the floor!"

Alastair began to pace back and forth as he spoke, laying out his reasoning for this course of action.

"I know that some of you consider my words to be treasonous, but hear me fellow nobles! When did the commoners begin to grow overconfident? When did our traditions and our way of life begin to falter? I tell you it all began with that commoner pet of the Vallieres, who defiles the monarchy of our nation! A commoner who dares to spit in the face of our noble institutions! A commoner who needs to be reminded of his place! This entire _rebellion_ begins and ends with _him_! If we destroy him, then these foolish peasants who would turn against us will remember who their masters are!"

Alastair was building to his big finish; he could sense the other nobles hanging on his every word. He had the hook set. All that remained was to reel them in.

"So I ask you. Nobles! Mages! Countrymen! Is this really treason? To restore to its rightful glory that which has been dragged through muck of commoner filth? Nay! I say this is PATRIOTISM! Patriotism of the highest order, brought about by love. Love for this nation! Love for whom and what the nobility once stood for! With your help, we will proudly stand for that again! Will you join me?"

One by one the assembled nobles removed their masks and nodded their affirmative.

"Very well", Alastair said. "Return to your domains, and quietly poll the nobles in and near your lands. Find out where they stand. I will contact you as soon as I conclude my business."

Bartholomew looked back at Alastair with a puzzled expression.

"What business do you refer to?"

Alastair looked back with a smile that matched the smugness in his eyes.

"I'm going to see an elf."

**Scene Break**

Gallia is the most populous kingdom in Halkeginia, boasting an impressive 15 million residents. Several million alone live in its capital Lutece. Though curiously, while Lutece was indeed the capital, it was not the location of the Royal Palace. That was in the city of Versailles, it here that Josette, twin sister to Tabitha, and current Queen of Gallia resided, along with her lover and familiar Jullio Chesare, AKA Myozunitonirun, the mind of God.

After the death of Gallia's King Joseph and his familiar Sheffield, Josette became the one to inherit her Uncle's void powers, as well as command his void familiar Myozunitonirun. Julio, the new Myozunitonirun, was once the familiar Vindalfr, or God's Right Hand. However that was lost upon the death of his master, Pope Vittorio. Shortly afterward, he became the familiar of Josette, the new Void Mage of Gallia.

Gallia, like the other kingdoms of Halkeginia, was in the midst of a commoner uprising. After staging the successful abduction of Charlotte and Henrietta, Robert de Sable had shown the people of this land that their royal families were vulnerable. Though Robert's apparent death along with the two Queens he kidnapped left no clear leader for the greater rebellion to coalesce around, smaller ones sprang up all over Halkeginia, in almost every one of its kingdoms, all except in Tristain, the home of the Commoner King.

Because of the many rebellions that the kingdoms had to deal with all at once, the once seemingly invincible systems of royalty and nobility were beginning to show cracks. They were learning a hard lesson, a lesson already learned by many monarchs and tyrants on another far away world: The one thing that every government has to fear above all, is its own people.

Josette had already jailed many of the activists and their cohorts for stirring up trouble in her domain. Unfortunately jailing, and the handing down of long sentences had done nothing to stop the stubbornly recalcitrant peasants. She even tried executing a few "ringleaders" to drive the point home. She succeeded only in creating martyrs. The swelling tide of discontent was rising and seeming to be more and more impossible to stem.

Then suddenly out of the blue, a representative of the Pope came to offer his assistance.

**Scene Break**

Franco Viscido, Archbishop from Romalia, strolled into Josette's office wearing his official robes, and a friendly disarming smile. He was of medium height, and slightly plump, giving off the aura of a friendly grandfather who would tell stories to help the children fall asleep, His thinning silver hair adding a distinguished tint to his regal attire.

Julio approached the Archbishop and knelt to kiss his signet ring.

"Rise, my friend," Bishop Viscido said warmly and embraced Julio as he did so. "You are truly missed in Romalia, pity I could not convince you to return."

"Alas your eminence," Julio said pulling back his bangs to display the runes of Myozunitonirun upon his forehead, "I am bound to serve Her Majesty the Queen by the contract of the familiar."

"And Her Majesty is bound to serve the Pope of Romalia, by the will of the Founder," The Bishop countered.

"And it is the business of the Pope that brings me in to Her Highness' domain today."

With that the Bishop placed some documents on Josette's desk.

The Queen examined them closely, after a time her eyes became wide, and astounded.

"This is the Romalia's written exequatur, authorizing an inquiry any time any place within the boundaries of Gallia." Josette noted with some surprise.

"Yes Your Majesty, and with anyone. To be blunt, the Pope is dissatisfied with the abilities of the Royal Families to keep their houses in order. This so called _Commoner's Uprising_ has proven to be a severe distraction. It is the consensus of the Bishops that the rebellion has become detrimental to the Pope's agenda."

"By that you mean retaking the Holy Land." Julio said.

"Yes that is correct," the Bishop asserted.

"His Holiness cannot launch a new crusade with the political situation in Halkeginia in such disarray. Now word has reached the Bishops of Tristain's alliance with the heathen elves. That was the final straw. He has dispatched representatives to each Kingdom to directly oversee the pacification of these malcontents."

"By each Kingdom, do you also mean Tristain?" Josette asked.

"The traitorous Void User and her familiar have already been found guilty in absentia by a Romalian inquiry. They will face God's judgment soon enough."

The Bishop provided more documents for the Queen to look over.

"This order provides me, the Pope's representative, the authority to take direct control of Your Majesties guards, courts and corrections institutions."

"And this," the Bishop said while passing Josette yet another document, "is a suspension decree. The right to counsel in any criminal proceeding is hereby suspended until further notice. You will also see a list of offenses and the penalties associated with them."

Josette exclaimed loudly, "The only penalty is death!"

"Of course it is. Your Majesty the situation with the commoners is quickly slipping beyond your reach. The Pope believes that things have deteriorated to the point where the only option is to either take control, or lose control."

The Bishop then handed one last document over to the Gallian Queen.

"An acknowledgment that you have been informed of His Holiness' decisions and that they are understood. Please sign here."

Josette sat at her desk utterly shell-shocked. The Pope had just basically stolen her Kingdom from right underneath her. And not only that, but was apparently authorizing wholesale executions of the people. Josette's hand, clutching a quill, hovered over the line where she was to place her signature.

"But I don't understand," she said.

"In truth Your Majesty, your understanding is merely a formality. His Holiness does not require you to understand, only that you obey."

Queen Josette understood. There was no way out of this. She could refuse and incur the wrath of Roamlia, who would undoubtedly send troops and airships to enforce these decrees by force. There really was no way for her to win. So with a great heaviness and unease in her heart, Josette signed the document, and gave away her kingdom.

Bishop Viscindo took the document, rolled it up and placed it in his robes.

"Thank you Your Majesty," He said, his warm friendly smile returning.

"And do not be troubled," he continued. "We all want the same end, and that is to bring the word of God to the people, and we will bring it, by any means necessary."

The Bishop went on while Josette stared into space, unfeeling.

"Fear is an essential component of faith is it not? We worship and follow the Word because we fear God's judgment. We fear eternal damnation. That is why the Church exists, to save the human race from damnation."

"How many executions will it take before the people are sufficiently afraid Bishop?" Josette asked somewhat sarcastically.

"We will start with your jails and then move to the general population. We plan to conduct the inquiries as efficiently as possible, so we believe we can deliver between 200 and 300 heretics to God's divine justice per week." The Bishop answered without a hint of irony in his voice.

"How will you execute so many?" Even our strongest headsman would feel his strength leave him after a pace only half as quick!"

The Bishop smiled broadly and gestured to both Julio and Josette.

"Walk with me."

They went out in to the Palace courtyard where Romalian troops were already busy setting up a garrison. In the center of the courtyard stood a tall object covered by a burlap tarp.

"A gift from the Founder," said Bishop Viscindo excitedly.

"Julio, as you know the Founder has bestowed many exotic gifts of new and strange weaponry to aid in retaking the Holy Land. However, most of those are strange to the point that no one else but Gandalfr can learn how to use them. But this, Julio, was different. Our engineers were able to decipher its function as well as duplicate its construction.

A soldier removed the tarp. Josette and Julio gasped and stared at the strange mechanical device before them.

It was a cart with an elevated board for a person to lie on. At one end of that board was an apparatus for securing one's neck. Towering above that apparatus was a tall frame, consisting of two parallel beams and a transverse beam across the top. At the top of the frame, secured in a track carved within the tall beams of the frame was a great blade with a sharp angled edge, held in place by a rope and pulley system.

Two soldiers brought out some volunteers to test the device. Those "volunteers" were two watermelons.

The first watermelon was placed in the slot where the criminal's neck will be accommodated. A soldier pressed a release mechanism and with a "swish" the angled blade fell, guided by the track in the beams and sliced the watermelon cleanly in two. The fruit seemed to hardly impede the blade's movement at all.

The bishop began to extol the device's virtues.

"It provides a quick, clean death. In fact the device is so swift, that each one will be able to "process" dozens upon dozens of prisoners each week. We brought five of these devices with us. And five devices were sent to each Kingdom with the exception of Tristain. There God's justice will have to wait until after the traitors on the throne are dealt with."

Josette and Julio simply stared with their mouths hanging open.

The blade fell and severed another watermelon.

The Bishop smiled approvingly.

"Magnificent isn't it?"


	7. 5 The Elven Assassin

Author's notes: Hoping everyone had a safe and happy Easter!

Here is my Easter present to all of you: a brand new chapter!

Enjoy, and as always, please review!

**Begin Story**

Alastair Teague sat alone in a carriage returning to his home. Although he had crossed into his lands sometime ago, he had yet to reach his home at the center of his domain, his inheritance. All his lands, his home, his servants, and the company of mage knights he employed, were all bestowed upon him at the death of his father.

_Indeed the Founder has blessed us, _he mused to himself.

In truth, Lord Teague was rather eager to return home. He had been away for over a month attempting to locate a certain someone. Oh, he talked to all the right people, asked all the right questions, and paid all the right bribes, but still he had yet to see any sign of his quarry. So it was with a heavy heart that Alastair began his long journey home. Even so, he very much looked forward to relaxing in front of his own fire, along with a glass of his favorite wine, and his adoring wife. After that, maybe he'd make time for the mistress as well. He was just beginning to think of her, dressed in the provocative lace outfit that he bought her, when his home at last came into view.

_Home at last!_ He thought to himself.

It wasn't until the carriage rolled to a complete stop in front of his door, that he noticed something amiss. Well, a few things actually.

"Where is everyone?" he said to no one in particular.

Nobles with similar status grow accustomed to being treated in a certain manner, like being greeted by a formation of servants upon returning home from a long journey. Today however, there was nothing to greet him but the whistling wind.

Cautiously, he stepped out of the carriage, his shoes crunching against the bare cobblestones below, yet another sensation he was unaccustomed to experiencing upon returning home. His feet should be treading upon a red and gold carpet, not coarse, grating stones.

Alastair slowly made his way up to the mansion, and stopped at the front door, which was slightly ajar. He slowly pushed his head inside, and took a quick look around his mansion's main hall. Eerie, empty darkness were all that greeted his eyes. After stepping inside, he gave his eyes a moment to adjust to the lack of light, and soon spotted a pair of feet lying at the top of the steps, leading to his living quarters.

His pulse pounded in his temples as bounded up each step, racing to ascertain just who those fallen feet belonged to. When he reached the top he saw a man with close cropped black hair dressed in a servant uniform.

"Marcus!" Lord Teague said with alarm in his voice.

Lying senseless at the top of the stairs was the Teague Manor's house manager, Marcus.

Alastair gently cradled the servants head as he checked for any sign of what felled his faithful servant. With no physical indications of injury to be found, the young Lord could reach only one conclusion. _Magic!_

Wand out, he slowly crept down the long hallway, until he came upon another still figure.

His world grew cold.

"Oh no! Please Founder no!"

Lying sprawled out in the doorway leading to his bed chamber, was the Lady Teague.

Alastair cried out in anguish as he sank to his knees.

He sat for a moment, holding his wife's hand, swearing revenge under his breath to whoever was responsible for this, when a sudden intrusion got his attention.

"Whenever, you're finished being melodramatic, you can come in so that we may discuss our business."

Alastair looked up. The voice came from inside his bed chamber.

He slowly opened the door, and stepped in the room. Seated on a chair in the shadows, was a figure that appeared to be reading a book.

"You!" shouted Alastair Teague. "What is the meaning of this? What have you done to my servants, my guards, and my wife?" Alastair pointed his wand.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Alastair quickly chanted his spell, throwing a blast of wind at his seated opponent. The figure did not move. He simply held up his hand and pushed the spell back at the one who cast it.

Lord Teague was thrown, quite forcefully, back into the hallway.

After a few moments the shaken noble burst into the room once again, wand at the ready.

"I don't know who you are," he said, out of breath, "but this contest will not end until one of us lies dead!"

The seated figure never stood up, nor raised his voice. He didn't even take his eyes off of his book as he replied: "I am not in the habit of killing my clients. It's not good business."

"Clients?"

"Unless," the figure replied calmly, "you made all those inquiries about me for reasons other than wanting to engage my services, in which case it will be quite impossible for me to leave you alive. By the way, you can put away your wand. Your need to avenge your fallen wife and servants is unnecessary. I merely rendered them unconscious so that we may conduct our business in privacy."

With that, the figure rose from his seat and stepped out of the shadows. The first thing Alastair noticed about the man, other than his strange attire, was his rather long and pointed ears.

_The elf!_

Standing before Alastair was none other than Lolindir Nenharma, the elven assassin. It was then that he understood why he had not been able to find this person during his journey. One does not simply find Lolindir Nenharma.

_He finds you._

Lolindir gestured towards another empty chair.

"To business then."

Alastair sat in a chair opposite the elf and studied him closely.

He was tall, and had blonde hair like other elves, but his was cut shorter and tied behind his rather handsome face in a ponytail. He had pale, almost white skin, and a demeanor that suggested that he that he was not to be taken lightly. It was his polite, and matter of fact manner, which fed into his aura. An aura that read: _cross me and die._

"Before getting into the specifics of the contract, there are some conditions I need to lay down. First my fee, I collect it all up front and that is non-negotiable. Second, you are never to utter my name out loud again after our parting today, not even in a whisper. Third, our relationship is a onetime affair. I never work for the same client twice, and do not try to engage me by proxy. The penalty for failing to abide by these rules is a most painful death. Are we in agreement?"

Alastair simply gave a wide-eyed nod as his reply.

"Good. Now, how can I be of service to you today?"

Alastair pulled a piece of parchment out his cloak, and handed it to the elf. As the elf studied the names written on it, Alastair asked:

"Can you kill these people?"

The assassin folded up the parchment and replied, "Yes." Then after a pause, he continued.

"However, the high profile nature of the target will mean that upon completion of the assignment, I will likely be a wanted man, and I will be hunted by both your kind as well as mine. I will have to disappear after this. Are there any specific instructions as to the manner in which you want their deaths to occur?"

"Yes," Alastair replied. "I want their deaths to be public and brutal. These peasants need to see their idol fall!"

"A public death increases the risk to me." The elf stated. "Therefore my compensation shall increase as well." Lolindir paused for a moment and then named his price.

"Ten thousand Ecu, non-negotiable."

Alastair smiled. "I anticipated that rather exuberant sum."

He rose and went over to a cabinet. Upon opening the door Lord Teague hauled out two medium sized chests. He opened them both in front of his elven guest.

"Ten thousand Ecu coins, enough to buy a castle." Alastair said while running his hands through the pile of glittering gold. "Well how about it elf, a castle in exchange for a king?"

"This is acceptable." The assassin replied. He stood and bowed to his noble host.

"Farewell Alastair Teague. We'll not meet again."

With that the elf snapped his fingers, and Alastair heard his wife gasp loudly. He turned in time to see her open her eyes wide and looking in fear.

Teague ran to his wife and began to comfort her. He turned his gaze upward to where the elf was just standing.

But he and the two chests of gold had already vanished.

**Scene Break**

Bathed in the light of the twin moons streaming through the window, Tristania's Royal Bed Chamber glowed in a soft, warm ambiance.

There, lying in bed flat on his back and staring at the ceiling with wide open eyes, was the King of Tristain.

Saito sighed quietly, his mind racing blindly from one thought to the next. Within his brain, a formless colorful swirl of problems melded together in an unrecognizable mess: the daily business of governing a kingdom, the rebellion, holding off the nobles who were just itching to overthrow him and his wife. Not to mention the fact that he had not seen Guiche, Kirche, Tiffania, or any of his other friends in months. Not since this whole crazy train of events began.

_We've just been too busy_, he thought.

Just then a soft, low moan broke his musings. The pink haired queen sleeping next to him shifted position, now lying on her stomach. Once she settled, she continued sleeping peacefully.

Saito rolled to his side, and gently stroked the top of Louise's head while he listened to her breathe.

He let his hand move further down, tracing the back of her neck, then slowly down her back, his finger gently leaping from one vertebra to the next, all the way down.

He leaned forward, and gently kissed his wife on the neck before carefully getting out of bed.

After putting on his robe, Saito quietly stepped out of the room, and grabbed one of the lit lamps that hung on the walls of the palace corridors.

He had developed a habit of wandering these halls at night, when he could not sleep. His mind was so full of the issues, and dangers that they faced, sleep was just not easy to come by. He honestly could not understand how Louise managed to sleep despite all of this.

He crept down into the kitchen, and boiled himself a cup of hot tea.

_Yeah, I could have Siesta or one of the other servants do this. _He thought. _But it just wouldn't feel right to wake them in the middle of the night for something like this._

Stepping quietly, so his footsteps would not echo loudly, Saito climbed up one of the palace towers, and stepped out onto one of the outer walls that ringed the palace. Guards at their posts saluted the King as he made his way past them.

He stopped halfway along the length of the walkway, and leaned himself against the brick wall and looked out over the city.

The two moons of Halkeginia shone brightly, two bright orbs, hanging peacefully against a back drop of sparkling stars. The city of Tristainia sprawled out elegantly below.

Saito took a sip of his tea, quietly taking in the scene before him.

Again his worries took over his mind. The rebellion, the nobility, the death threats, all fighting for supremacy in the war to cause him gray hair.

But in all the whirlwind of woes in his mind, one thought still stood out in front of them all.

_You know the real reason why you can't sleep at night._

He was thinking about _Him._

The strange hooded man who attacked him the night Queen Henrietta and Tabitha were taken.

The man who called himself Alexander Dufresne.

Specifically, Saito was thinking about what Alexander had told him while he attacked him.

_You betrayed who you were!_

_Betrayed you family!_

_Your friends!_

_Your humanity!_

_You even betrayed the woman you love!_

"Me betray Louise?" He said out loud. _Never!_

_How could I have possibly done these things?_ He wondered to himself.

Saito again looked up at the stars; thinking about what he may have done to deserve these harsh accusations, when something else that hooded man said to him came to mind.

_And now it seems that even the stars themselves are to suffer your wrath!_

Again Saito turned his gaze skyward, looking at the twinkling lights above.

_The stars? What could I possibly do to the stars?_

In truth Saito had not spent a great deal of time contemplating the stars since arriving at Halkeginia. Whenever he did gaze at the sky, it was usually the moons that grabbed his attention. However, there were a few occasions where he did try to find a recognizable constellation or two. He found none.

He also wondered more than once, if one of those points of light up there might be his own sun.

_Home._

"Wandering around in the middle of the night again?"

Saito quickly turned to find the source of the sudden intrusion into his thoughts. It was Agnes, captain of the Musketeer Corp.

"Oh, hello Agnes," Saito greeted.

"Another sleepless night sire?" Agnes asked her King.

"Yes, and I told you to stop with the sire crap. I'm just Saito."

"And I told you, that like it or not you are now the King of Tristain. You need to get used to being addressed as such."

"Sorry, I guess I'm just testy from the lack of sleep."

"Yes, I've noticed you wandering around here night after night. You need sleep. A king needs to keep his wits about him. Remain sharp."

They both stood silently for a few moments, taking in the magnificent view that the city gave them. Finally Saito decided to break the silence.

"Hey Agnes."

"Hmm?" Agnes replied, not taking her eyes off the view.

"Have you ever looked up at the stars at night, and wondered what they were?"

Agnes looked at Saito with a rather confused expression, as if to wonder why he would even ask such a question.

"What do you mean _wondered what they were_? Everyone knows the stars are where the spirits of those who remained faithful to Brimir go. If the Founder favors you, your spirit ascends to the heavens after you die. There you take your place among your ancestors, and watch over Halkeginia."

Saito blinked his eyes at the response. It was said with such authority, as if there were no room for argument. Well. Who was Saito to say that it wasn't true at all? With everything he had witnessed here over the past few years, it just might be.

"Anyway, I never allowed myself time for such trivial pursuits." Agnes continued, "My focus was always on finding those responsible for destroying my village."

Saito simply nodded in his reply. He recalled how Agnes' hometown had been deliberately burned to the ground by fire mages under orders from the Church. Three year old Agnes was the only one to survive the massacre. She had spent her life tracking down those responsible and plotting her revenge.

"Now I spend my time contemplating my failure to protect Her Majesty Henrietta from that criminal Robert de Sable."

"That wasn't your fault Agnes. You were investigating the cause of the explosion that destroyed the Griffin Knights. There was no way you could have been in two places at once."

Agnes gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. Twisting as she fought to maintain composure.

"The Queen's safety was my responsibility and I failed. It is that simple."

Saito placed a reassuring hand on Agnes' shoulder, and spoke directly to her wounded emotions.

"Now mine and Louise's safety is your responsibility, and we trust you completely."

Saito gripped her shoulder tightly for a moment and released.

"And there is no one else we would trust with our lives." Saito finished.

With that the King started the long walk back to his bed chamber to try to get at least some sleep before the sun rose. Tomorrow was going to be a long night. His wife was throwing another party with the nobles.

Agnes was left alone on the palace wall, contemplating the King's words.

_I will not fail again._

**Scene Break**

Saito slowly crept back into bed, being careful not to wake the still sleeping Louise. As he laid his head on the pillow, the strange hooded figure of Alexander Dufresne still filled his mind. After a time, he began to feel drowsy. Sleep was coming at last. Before his consciousness left him completely, the last words Alexander spoke to him echoed in his mind. Spoken after Saito asked him why he did not kill him.

_You are not the man I've come to kill._

_Not Yet._

**Scene Break**

Queen Josette rose out of bed and stared at the morning sun streaming through her window. It was another day in Gallia. She looked to her right and saw the empty space in bed next to her where Julio slept, and knew that he must be already conferring with the Bishop. Josette grimaced slightly when she thought of that man from Romalia, the man who came with the Pope's authority to take over her kingdom. For while the nobility still bowed in her presence and servants still addressed her as Your Majesty or Your Highness, in truth Josette was Queen of Gallia in name only, a figurehead.

Gallia was an occupied territory.

In the two months that had passed since Bishop Franco Viscido had arrived, he had set out to systematically make himself and the Pope's decrees the only real source of political power in Gallia. Josette had slowly and steadily found herself to be more and more marginalized. Until finally her only purpose seemed to be appearing at functions designed legitimize the Bishop's rule, and placing her signature on the death warrants that graced her desk every day.

Josette walked over to the vanity and took in her reflection. The visage that greeted her was not a healthy one. The Queen eyes were dull, sunken, bloodshot orbs that bore dark circles under them, a sure sign of the stress that she had been subjected to. She wore her worries on her increasingly haggard face, and silently wondered to herself how much longer this Papal rule would go on.

She tried to force a smile. But the only problem with a forced smile of course is that it looks, well…forced.

The Queen sighed. "How can I try to make people believe that I am happy and content when I can't even smile?" She said out loud. After brushing her hair, and dressing, she came back to the mirror to try again. Better, she decided, but still not convincing.

She got up and walked out of the room, heading toward the palace garden for breakfast and morning tea.

**Scene Break**

"Good Morning Your Majesty!" Bishop Viscido greeted the Queen warmly.

She smiled weakly and nodded in return as she took her seat at the breakfast table.

"How many will I be sending to their deaths today?" She asked

"Your Majesty I am disappointed in you." The Bishop said. You seem to think that executions are all that we do here."

"Aren't they?" The Queen interrupted with a raised eyebrow.

"Our purpose here is to bring the people in line with the Pope's vision for Halkeginia. The Royal families are an extension of that vision. Therefore, rebellion against the Royalty is rebellion against the Pope. They are heretics Your Majesty, and must be dealt with harshly."

"Four Thousand people!" The Queen yelled. "Were there really four thousand heretics running loose in my kingdom? Because that's how many death warrants I've had to sign in the past two months! That's how many of my subjects you have fed to that—that machine in the courtyard!"

Josette said while pointing in the courtyard's direction.

"Remember Your Majesty, these rebels follow a man who was responsible for the death of your sister."

"I know who killed Charlotte.' Josette seethed. I also know that those death warrants I signed have nothing to do with what happened to her."

"Were only talking about Four thousand, out of fifteen million. Your kingdom has hardly been depopulated your highness."

"Yes your eminence, but where does it stop? Where is the end to this carnage? I only ask because I can't seem to be able to see it."

"I ask that you exercise some patience Your Majesty. The trials are having an effect. Unrest is fading from the streets, our soldiers are noticing that."

"It's because the people are afraid to venture out of their homes. They are afraid of being caught up in one of your Public Safety sweeps."

"As I said, fear is an indispensable part of faith. The people of Gallia know that the eyes of God are upon them, and that God's justice will be swift, and terrible, for anyone who dares to speak out against his divine vision for this land."

Josette stared, wide-eyed at the Bishop, whose own eyes shown such enthusiasm as he spoke his last statement; something she should have seen from the beginning had suddenly become very clear to her."

"You're mad." The Queen said.

"And you are dangerously close to being subjected to an inquiry yourself Josette." The Bishop countered while using the Queen's name rather than her title.

"You would do well to remember, that the Romalian exequatur grants me authority to perform an inquiry on anyone. That includes members of the Royal Family. Like yourself for example, or Julio, or even _your mother._"

Josette's eyes narrowed. "Leave my mother out of this."

"It seems that she was negligent in teaching you proper respect for his Holiness and his divine right to administer the Word of God in Halkeginia. Failure to properly indoctrinate one's children in Church doctrine is punishable by death."

The Bishop said this while bearing a wide menacing smile.

Josette stared blankly, too frightened to say anything more.

"Now if you'll excuse me Your Highness, The morning inquiries are about to start."

The Bishop rose and left the table, stopping only to address the two guards who stood watch at the breakfast table.

"Watch her, and make sure that she finds her way to her office. There will be more warrants requiring her signature."

As Bishop Viscido strolled away, Queen Josette of Gallia placed her head face down on the table and wept.

**Scene Break**

"Louise."

Saito leaned over and whispered to his wife.

"Are you sure that it is really appropriate to have a party right now, given the current state of things?"

"Look Saito, things may be difficult right now, but we still have to mingle and draw up support among the nobles." Louise replied while waving and smiling toward the crowd in the main hall.

The King and Queen of Tristain stood on the upper balcony overlooking the main hall of the Royal Palace. Banners bearing the Royal Crest draped from the railing and hung from the walls.

Standing a short distance away, guarding the stairs that led from the floor of the main hall, to the balcony occupied by the Tristanian Royals was Captain Agnes. She cast a wary eye on every guest at the party below, ensuring that no danger to her two royal charges existed.

Waiters and servants hustled to each guest, refilling wine and keeping them happy. Some walked around with trays of finger food. While others took soiled dishes back to the kitchen for washing. On an elevated platform beneath the balcony, a band played a waltz, while guests danced slowly on the dance floor.

Agnes continued observing the guests below, when something got her attention.

Now when a person's mission in life is to watch and protect against possible threats to the safety of others, that person develops a certain instinct, a sixth sense if you will, about who can be considered potentially hostile. Almost like radar that enables you to detect danger long before most other people could.

Right now Agnes' internal radar was screaming like crazy.

Her eyes settled on a figure moving quickly and smoothly through the crowd. Whoever this was clearly knew how to move efficiently without any wasted motion whatsoever.

The figure was tall and wearing a rather large hat, concealing the top of his head.

Agnes quickly moved down the steps toward the crowd to intercept the figure, being careful not to alarm anyone unnecessarily.

Agnes caught up to the suspicious person and grabbed his wrist.

"Halt! What is your business here?"

No reply came. Instead with a whirl of his cloak the figure broke free from Agnes' grip and levitated her off the ground. Then with a quick motion with his hands he had her thrown violently against the wall. She collapsed in a motionless heap.

Panic broke out among the guests, and they scattered while screaming in panic.

The guards stationed along the main hall's walls drew their swords.

With a wave of his hand the man made the entire guard cadre slam into the unforgiving stones and drop to the floor unconscious.

"Who are you?" this from Louise atop the balcony.

The figure slowly stepped forward and removed his hat. With his hat off the figure's long ears became exposed, eliciting a gasp from Louise and Saito.

"You're an elf!"

"Please Your Majesty, allow me to introduce myself. I am Lolindir Nenharma, and I am here to kill you."

"We have a treaty with the elves!" Louise shouted. "There are no hostilities between us."

"I do not serve the elven council. We stand apart. I am employed by the highest bidder, and my current employer wishes you to die a very public and very brutal death."

"I'm curious." Saito said "a man likes to know the true value of his own life. So tell me, what is the going rate for a King these days?"

"Well since I am going to kill you anyway, why not?" The elf replied with a smile. "Ten thousand gold Ecu coins, that's what I was paid to end you."

With that the elf spread his arms wide and called on the ancient spirits residing in the stones that made up the castle walls to strike down the two monarchs on the balcony above.

One after another, the bricks left their places in the walls and streamed toward Louise and Saito.

Saito stepped in front of his wife and drew Derflinger. His Gandalfr Runes flared to life as he began whirl the sentient Katana, ready to parry the flying stones as they came at him.

However, he never got the chance. Just before the stones came into range of Derflinger's striking distance, the stones were repelled by an invisible force.

_Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!_

The sounds of the stones crashing against the Counter barrier rang out in the palace's main hall.

Saito stood confused. _What the heck is going on?_

The elf was equally confused. He raised his hand and the swords belonging to the unconscious guards began to float in mid-air, surrounded by a green aura. The elf raised his hand all the way above his head and the swords followed. They hung in the air in circle, points facing down slowly rotating above Lolindir's head.

The elf thrust his outstretched hand in Louise and Saito's direction and one by one, the blades broke their formation and streaked towards the couple.

_Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!_

Each blade collided with the Counter barrier that had mysteriously risen to protect Saito.

Louise decided to take the opportunity to go on the offensive.

"_Explosion!"_

"No you idiot, He'll Counter it!" yelled Derflinger.

The spell hit the elf who was completely engulfed by the blast, then suddenly, the energy from Louise's _Explosion_ began swirl in front of the elf. Whirling like a giant red pinwheel, the swirl became progressively smaller until it disappeared completely in the space between the elf's two hands.

Closing his right hand and whirling it in a wide backhand motion, Lolindir threw the spell right back at the royal balcony.

The returned spell hit the underside of the balcony with a loud _Boom,_ causing the floor beneath Louise and Saito to give way, sending the King and Queen tumbling to the ground floor along with stone debris of various sizes.

As the dust settled Louise was stunned motionless, Saito was coughing and barely able to move at all. Derflinger lay a short distance away, directly in front of the elven assassin.

Then something rolled away from Saito. It came to a stop after rolling right into Lolindir's feet. The elf bent down to pick up the strange glowing orb, and his face contorted in anger immediately upon recognizing what he held in his hand.

It was the nature spirit stone that Bidashal had given to Saito when they concluded their peace treaty together.

At last the elf understood. _So this is what was protecting that barbarian from my magic._

Lolindir held the stone up close to his face. He could see the nature spirits within, whirling and spinning in rage. The spirits that made up the stone had somehow imprinted with this human and were serving him of their own free will.

The fact that elven spirits would so willingly serve a barbarian human such as this served only to fuel Lolindir's animosity."

Saito slowly sat up, eyes still struggling to form a clear picture of what was going on around him.

The elf looked over at Saito and smiled wickedly. Now that he held the stone in his hand, there was nothing protecting the King from his magic.

He raised his hand and Derflinger rose on his own, surrounded by the elf's green spirit aura.

"Partner Run!" Derflinger cried.

The elf thrust his hand forward, and the Katana buried itself deep in Saito's chest.

Saito's face twisted in pain. He looked down and saw a red stain spreading over his shirt, and the blade protruding from his chest.

He fell back and hit the hard stone floor, coughing up blood.

The elf approached Saito, and violently pulled Derflinger out of his chest.

Nearby, Louise was lying on her side on the stone floor; writhing in pain and watching the scene unfold in front of her. The elf was standing over a gravely wounded Saito, holding Derflinger in one hand and a strange glowing orb in the other. Louise's eyes widened in sheer terror. Her dream was now playing out in front her, in stark reality.

_It's all coming true!_

Lolindir Nenharma leaned in close to Saito, bringing the spirit stone to within inches of his face.

He asked in a menacing voice:

"Where did you get this?"


	8. 6 His Artificial Soul

Author's notes: I know that nobody likes a cliffhanger, so I worked as quickly as I could to get this chapter done and uploaded.

Enjoy and Review!

**Begin Story**

Louise lay on the floor of the Tristain Royal Palace's main hall unable to move, and she was in a great deal of pain. However, despite the pain that assaulted her senses without mercy, she barely noticed it. Her mind was gripped by abject terror.

Playing out before her was a scene that she had seen many times already in her dreams. Her husband and familiar, Saito Hiraga, was lying next to Louise, gravely wounded and near death. His sword Derflinger was standing straight up, sticking out of Saito's chest, when the elven assassin that had attacked them, calmly walked over, and wrenched the sentient weapon out of Saito's wound. Louise knew how this scene would end, the way it had always ended in her dreams, with her death. Louise was one hundred percent certain that she was about to die.

She watched as Saito screamed in agony as the sword was forcefully withdrawn. The elf leaned forward and brought the glowing nature spirit stone very close to Saito's face.

The assassin asked in a tone dripping with malice:

"_Where did you get this?"_

Saito simply laid there, a pool made of his blood quickly spreading across the stone floor. His mouth opened and closed, unable to form words.

"Unable to speak? Death got your tongue?" The elf taunted.

The elf then turned his attention to the stone in his hand. It was rather large, and had to have been made with a great many nature spirits. Only a truly powerful practitioner of elven nature magic could have produced a stone of this size. And because the spirits incorporated within the stone had so willingly protected the human who possessed it, the idea that the stone was acquired through thievery was ruled out. That left only one remaining possibility.

_It was a gift._

_A gift from whom?_

Spirit stones found outside of the elven realm, were truly rare. To come across one of such a large size, was even rarer still. The thought of such a precious treasure being freely given to one of the barbarians filled Lolindir Nenharma with rage. The contract to simply kill this upstart commoner was suddenly less important to him. The assassin wanted to hurt this human, make him suffer.

Suddenly the elf's eyes lit up. He had an idea, a terribly cruel idea. Lolindir knew that even smaller elven stones produced from the spirits of nature had healing powers and could even resurrect the dead provided that the deceased had not been gone for too long.

_If a stone of this size were used….._

The assassin looked to Saito with a wide, wicked smile.

He approached the fallen King and raised the stone high above his head. With one smooth motion the elf brought the stone down, prepared to plunge the orb right into the gaping wound that marred Saito's chest.

_POOM!_

Something hit the elf from behind. His Counter barrier protected him, but the force of the blow was such that he was thrown forward, slamming into the wall that supported the balcony where the King and Queen were standing minutes ago. Derflinger clattered to the floor; the elven spirit stone flew from his hand, and was now rolling away.

He stood, his gaze searching for the source of energy that just blasted him from behind. Suddenly he found it.

The elf saw a figure standing in the entrance to the Hall. He had what appeared to be a tiny cannon protruding from the top of his forearm.

_POOM! POOM! POOM! POOM! POOM!_

The cannon discharged balls of orange glowing energy in rapid succession. They impacted against the elf's Counter barrier one after another.

Though his barrier continued to protect him, there was no way that the assassin could mount any kind of an offense against this relentless assault.

_POOM! POOM! POOM! POOM! POOM!_

He had no choice but to flee. No matter though, he target was mortally wounded, and would bleed to death within moments.

He moved quickly out of the stream of endless energy fire and ran across the Hall. The figure tracked his movements and continued to fire, balls of energy impacting against the castle walls, sending pieces of pulverized brick and mortar flying in all directions.

The assassin leapt and crashed through one of the stained glass windows that decorated the Hall. The newcomer did not give chase. Instead he turned to Saito and Louise.

The small cannon retracted back into the man's forearm with a _Click, _and he quickly went over to retrieve the spirit stone from the floor.

Louise watched the exchange silently, the pain to great for her to speak. Her eyes however, conveyed her astonishment without need for words.

_Such power! What manner of magic is this?_

_More importantly, is this strange man friend or foe?_

Louise watched him approach Saito holding the spirit stone. Her eyes grew even wider as she watched him point his finger at the glowing orb, and saw a bright red light emerge from the tip. The light traveled in a thin, perfectly straight line. Even more amazing, was that the light seemed to be cutting into the stone.

Indeed a small tendril of smoke curled up and away from the elven spirit stone as the light continued to bore into it. After a few moments, the light disappeared, and the man pulled a small sliver of material off of the stone.

He then knelt over Saito, holding the small piece of spirit stone over his wound, and dropped it in.

At that moment, a large flash of pure white light poured from the wound and it began to close up. Saito's eyes snapped open, and he began to gasp for breath.

Then the man stood and stepped over to Louise. Still in pain, Louise began wriggle back and forth, moaning in protest.

For the first time the man held up his hands and spoke.

"It's alright my lady. I'm here to help."

His voice was deep and reassuring, but he had such as youthful face. His grey eyes however, seemed to betray a wisdom that was way beyond the age his face portrayed.

He looked Louise over, eyes scanning every inch of her. Then he gently ran his hands over her left leg.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Louise's scream echoed throughout the cavernous Main Hall.

"Your Majesty, it would appear that you have a broken leg."

Louise continued to lay there, eyes shut tight, and moaning.

The man reached into his cloak, and pulled out a small rod like object. It was clear in the middle and Louise could see a fluid inside of it.

He held the rod up so that Louise could see it more closely.

"This is morphine. It will help with the pain."

With that, he placed one end of the rod firmly against Louise's neck and pressed a button at the other end.

Louise heard a _hissssssss _and felt the fluid from the rod enter her veins.

And true to the stranger's word, after a few moments the pain dulled and Louise felt her tensed muscles relax.

"Now Your Majesty, please listen close." The man said. "I have to set the bone in your leg so that it will heal properly. This will hurt, so be ready."

Louise clenched her fists and tried to steal herself for what was to come.

Louise screamed again as the man jerked and pulled her leg, setting her fractured bone into its proper place.

Then using wood from the debris and scraps from the torn decorative banners, he made a makeshift splint to keep Louise's leg straight.

The man then turned his attention back to Saito.

Saito's breathing had evened out, and though he was still lying in a pool of his own blood, there was no trace of the horrific wound he'd suffered remaining on his body.

The elven spirit stone had done its job.

The stranger knelt next to Saito and helped him to sit up.

"Easy, easy there lad, you'll be okay."

Saito turned to look at the man who'd just saved his and Louise's lives. His eyes took a moment to adjust and form a clear picture of the man in front of him.

When they did, Saito turned as pale as the mountain snow.

Alexander Dufresne stood and offered his hand to help Saito up.

**Scene Break**

Louise woke with a start and sat up. After taking in her surroundings she realized that she was in her bed. She rubbed her eyes, swung her legs over the side and tried to stand up.

And immediately collapsed to the floor.

The sound of running feet filled the Queen's ears as she tried to sit up.

"Louise!" said a familiar woman's voice that flew into the room.

A pair of hands gripped the Queen's shoulders and hauled her back onto the bed.

"You're not _The Zero _anymore Louise, you're the Queen of Tristain. You don't have to try to do everything by yourself. You have always been such a stubborn child."

Louise looked up, and beheld the face of a friend she had not seen in months.

"Kirche!"

The two women tearfully embraced. Having missed each other deeply, they held one another for quite some time.

Kirche von Zerbst of Germania was a bronze skinned, extremely well endowed woman from Germania. With fiery red hair, and an insatiable appetite for the male species, she had become known as Kirche the Ardent.

Hers and Louise's families have also been bitter rivals for centuries. During their days as schoolmates at the Tristain Magic Academy, that rivalry played out on campus almost daily.

However, after a series life threatening and harrowing adventures, the two slowly became close friends.

The Queen tried to greet her friend with a question:

"When did you-"

"We arrived yesterday. We all came as soon as we heard what had happened."

"We?"

"Tiffania, Guiche, Montmorency, and my Jean. They are all downstairs along with your parents and sisters."

Louise smiled. The thought of her friends all coming to see her and Saito at a time like this positively filled her heart with joy.

Suddenly remembering Saito, Louise panicked.

"Saito! What happened to him? He was badly hurt when the elf attacked us!"

"He's fine," Kirche reassured her gently. He's downstairs talking with your parents now, along with that strange handsome man who came to your rescue."

Kirche then stared wistfully off into space.

"Very handsome." She sighed. "If it wasn't for my Jean I would-"

"How long was I asleep?" Louise asked, interrupting Kirche's sudden daydream.

"It took all of us almost a day to get here, so you've been sleeping for at least that long."

"Kirche." Louise said, suddenly concerned for her friend. "How have you been? We haven't seen each other or really had the chance to talk since it happened."

Kirche cast her eyes down for a moment, trying to decide what to say.

"I was devastated when Tabitha died." Kirche said sadly. A single tear began to slowly fall down the right side of her face. I used to sit for hours in her room in Gallia, holding the doll that her mother had before she had her illness cured."

"Her mother and I talked while I was in Gallia. She's actually a pretty strong lady." Kirche continued. "We became close. But I really had a hard time facing it. Tabitha was my best friend. I loved her like a sister. Josette took over as Queen, but now the Pope's Archbishop rules Gallia."

Kirche gripped Louise's shoulders tightly and looked directly into her eyes.

"Louise, terrible things are happening in Gallia right now. Romalian troops are everywhere patrolling the streets. Commoners are being rounded up and forced into sham inquiries. Thousands of people are being executed with no evidence against them at all."

Louise's mouth hung open. Her eyes widened in shock.

"And that's not the worst part. The Bishop brought these machines with him. They have this blade on top and they put the prisoners head in this frame, the blade drops and the person's head is chopped right off. These machines are killing people almost nonstop. I left Gallia and went back to Germania. I just couldn't stand to watch anymore. But Tabitha's mother is still there, and I worry about Josette and Julio."

Kirche paused to take a breath, and then voiced her fears.

'What if this Bishop doesn't stop with the commoners? What if he decides to kill Josette and Julio, or even Tabitha's mother, to take complete control of the kingdom himself?"

Louise and Kirche simply looked at one another; there was really no way to answer that question.

Louise again tried to stand up. Her left leg screamed in protest. Louise grimaced in pain and sat back down on the bed.

Kirche admonished her friend once more.

"What did I tell you Louise? You can't do this yourself right now. The healers did wonders with your leg and managed to mend the bone, but it is still going to be a few days before you can put your full weight on it."

"What would you have me do then?" Louise asked in exasperation. "I'll not sit here while the world falls apart around me."

"No one is asking you to sit around. Here, use this." Kirche said while offering something to Louise.

Louise saw what Kirche meant to give her and shot back a rather sarcastic look. "Don't joke with me," she said.

"Look, what's the big deal? It's not as though you are the first person to walk with a cane."

"I am not an old lady." Louise asserted.

Kirche stood firm, arms folded across her rather large chest.

"I'm afraid it's going to be either the cane or bed sores. Take your pick."

Grudgingly, Louise accepted the walking stick. Slowly, she stood back up and took a few tentative and wobbly steps forward.

Kirche smiled, and took Louise's arm.

"Come on Queen _Hop Along_,"she joked. "Everyone is waiting for us."

Louise gave Kirche an indignant look, and suddenly had a pleasant thought.

_The bright side to this is now I have something else to punish the Dog with whenever he steps out of line._

**Scene Break**

The King of Tristain and a gaggle of mages stood in the Royal Palace throne room waiting for Kirche to return with news of Louise's condition, when suddenly they both appeared in the entrance way.

Everyone in the room gasped at the scene that greeted them.

Kirche was holding Louise by the arm and leading her into the room, while Louise's other arm gripped a wooden cane.

_Great. _Saito thought after he noticed the cane. _Something else to hit me with._

"Louise!" Everyone exclaimed at once.

Louise's heart brightened considerably at the warm greeting. She took in the sight of her friends who had waited patiently for her to wake up.

Guiche, Montmorency, Professor Colbert, Tiffania, her parents the Duke and Duchess Valliere, Siesta, and her sisters Eleonore and Cattelya, all rushed forward to greet the injured Queen.

After embracing all her friends her eyes finally found what they had been searching for all along.

Her husband Saito stood off to the side, not interfering with the multitude of reunions taking place in the room.

Truth be told, Louise was quite annoyed by the fact that her husband was not in the room to greet her as she woke up. But seeing him standing here, alive and seemingly unharmed caused her annoyances to be quickly swept aside by relief.

She strode toward her husband as fast as the cane would allow.

Saito tried to stifle a chuckle. Though he was fully aware of the cause of his wife's condition, the sight of Louise hobbling around with a cane was still rather comical.

Unfortunately Saito's attempt to suppress his snicker failed.

"What was that Dog?" Louise asked as she brought the cane across Saito's shin. "Are you laughing at your Master's misfortune?"

Saito hopped up and down cradling his now sore leg. "Hey!" He yelled while everyone else just gave looks of bemusement.

Louise then grabbed Saito by his shirt collar, pulled him close, and kissed him, deeply, and passionately.

"Dog." She said softly. "Don't you ever frighten me like that again."

It was then that Louise noticed another person in the room.

Standing silently in a corner of the room was none other than the one responsible for Louise and Saito even being alive to have a lover's quarrel.

Alexander Dufresne.

Louise slowly made her way towards the strange man, the cane making loud knocks with each strike against the floor.

"Louise." Saito called out with an outstretched hand.

The Queen ignored him, and continued advancing toward Alexander.

She stopped in front of him, and offered her hand.

Alexander knelt and gently pressed his lips against it.

"Hey!" Saito yelled as he ran over to break them apart.

"Quiet you!" Louise snarled. At least he knows how to properly interpret this gesture!"

Saito looked embarrassed as he remembered the first time then Princess Henrietta offered Saito her hand. Louise informed him that meant he could kiss her. And kiss her he did, right on her lips.

Louise was unhappy about that, to say the very least.

Saito stammered a bit. "Ahhhh well, anyway, thanks for ummmm, saving our lives."

The Duchess Valliere spoke up.

"Now that my daughter is finally awake, perhaps you start answering our questions."

Louise looked at Alexander with a puzzling expression.

"While you were sleeping, your friends and family asked a great many questions of me," Alexander said. "However, I told them that I would prefer to wait until Your Majesty was awake and moving about before I answered them. I hate to tell stories twice."

"Alright," Louise said. "First question: Who are you?"

"You may simply call me Alexander."

"And what was that magic you used to drive off the elf?"

"That was not magic; it was a plasma discharge from my personal defense weapon system."

Alexander then held out his left arm, and a small cannon emerged from the top of his forearm. The assembled nobles gasped as Alexander pointed his weapon at an open skylight and fired a shot off into the sky.

_POOM!_

Saito, being from modern Japan and a world ruled by technology, was the only one present with the proper frame of reference to draw any sort of conclusion from what they had just witnessed.

He leveled his finger at Alexander and said the only thing he could think of.

"You're a…..a robot!"

Alexander retracted the cannon back into his arm.

"I'm a sentient, fully autonomous, artificial life form."

Everyone stared back blankly.

"An android." Alexander finished.

The crowd still had no idea what he was talking about.

Then Derflinger interjected.

"I get it! He's a talking piece of metal just like me!"

The nobles gasped once more, and Professor Colbert stepped forward to examine Alexander more closely.

"You mean you are a machine? A piece of technology like the things that come from Saito's world."

Alexander nodded.

"But you look just like a person," Colbert said as he reached out and poked Alexander gently in the chest.

"Synthetic flesh covering a metallic endoskeleton."

"Incredible!" Colbert exalted.

"There is one more thing that you should also know. I did not come from Saito's world of Earth. I am a product of the Void."

Louise raised her eyebrows at this.

"The Void?"

"Yes Your Majesty. My master was a powerful Void user who eschewed the idea of having a living familiar. He created me to be the perfect weapon; my sole purpose was to carry out his will."

"But where are your runes?" Louise asked.

"My runes were taken from me when I abandoned my master."

Again the nobles gasped loudly, and began to chatter loudly among themselves.

"What?"

"Impossible!"

"A familiar cannot abandon his master!"

Alexander held his hands up to silence the anxious mages before him. He turned to address Louise.

"Like your own human familiar, I am sentient, and therefore possess my own free will."

Louise nodded with understanding. She recalled how difficult it was to get Saito to do anything she asked when they first met.

"My master was a good man once. However, over time his heart became twisted and consumed by grief and rage. He had me pursue ends that became more and more selfish, and more and more destructive. After a time I made a decision to leave my master and walk my own path."

Alexander turned to address the mages who'd gathered in close around him.

"That is all I am willing to say about the subject right now. However, there is something even more important to discuss."

He turned to Saito and Louise.

"Who attacked you and why?"

"It was an elf who was hired by the nobles to kill us. They are not too happy about having a commoner such as me as King of Tristain."

Duchess Valliere embraced her daughter, and cradled her head against her shoulder.

"Louise, my dear Louise."

"Who did this?" The Duchess asked

"We don't know Mother." Louise replied. "But the elf did say that he was paid ten thousand Ecu coins to do the job."

The Duchess' eyes grew large with surprise. Ten thousand ecu coins was a rather large sum indeed. That meant that whoever wanted her daughter and son in law dead, was not likely to give up easily.

"How do we start looking?" Asked Montmorency

Saito added some wisdom from his own world to the conversation.

"We follow the money."

"Ten thousand gold coins are much too large and heavy to just carry around. Someone had to arrange transport and protection for the shipment." Alexander added.

"Sounds like we need to have a chat with the finance minister," Louise said.

"I'll do it." This came from the Duchess Valliere.

"Mother no, I am the Queen this is my job. I will talk with the finance minister. There is no reason for you to get involved." Louise replied.

The Duchess turned to Alexander.

"You saved the life of my daughter, and I offer you my gratitude metal man. Now I ask of you, will you be willing to remain here and watch over them until those behind this conspiracy are caught?"

"That was my intention anyway My Lady." Alexander replied. "I was unable to kill the elf, so there is a real possibility that he may return and try again."

"Good. Your first task is to ensure that she does not leave this palace for any reason." The Duchess said while pointing at Louise.

"Yes ma'am." Alexander said while bowing.

"Mother! There is no reason for this treatment, I am fully capable of looking after myself!"

"Louise!" The Duchess replied coldly. "You will remain here."

Louise recognized the tone that her mother had just used. This was a command from a parent to a child. In that moment Louise was no longer a Queen, but little Louise once more.

And Little Louise would not have it.

"Mother! I am not a child; I am the Queen of Tristain. You will not order me to remain here against my will!"

"Louise Francoise!" Her mother yelled. "Be you a Queen, the Void Mage, or a simple seamstress I care not! You are my daughter and YOU WILL OBEY!"

And with that the Duchess Valliere walked out of the room.

Louise managed a simple "Eep!" and immediately went silent.

A shiver ran down the spines of the Duke of Valliere, Eleonore, Cattelya, Saito, and Louise. Though most in the room simply took the exchange as a tiff between mother and daughter, those who shivered truly understood what just happened.

They just witnessed an alarming transformation.

Though she loved the nobility, the Duchess loved her children more. And when she learned that one of them had been deliberately attacked, something truly terrifying happened.

The Duchess was no more. She ceased to exist. In that moment she was replaced by something infinitely more frightening.

Karin the Heavy Wind was going to war.


	9. Interlude 2

Author's Notes: It's been a while since we checked in with the Earthlings.

Enjoy the short interlude.

**Begin Story**

"That'll be $16.22."

Nick handed the delivery man a $20 bill and said. "Keep it."

The driver nodded, put the money in his pouch, and said "Alright man, have a good one," and walked off.

Nick slowly closed the door, balancing his large pepperoni pizza in his arms and holding his two liter bottle of soda in his mouth.

He slowly shuffled back to his desk lamenting his situation.

_Another long night._

On his way to the desk he passed by a row of computers. On a central monitor there was a status screen divided in half horizontally. On the bottom half was the spectrogram that was taken by a predator drone of a far away sun on a far away world, while on the top half spectrograms taken from other stars scrolled through almost too fast for the eye to see.

The comparison program had been running continuously for months, and would likely be running for several more months, if not for years to come.

As he continued to shuffle to his seat, Nick noticed the enormous telescope in the dome pointing skyward.

_Stuck here staring at the computer again. Oh well, at least I can work on my thesis._

As he neared his seat, Nick heard music coming out of his pocket.

"_When I put on this Bow Chicka Wow Wow, whatchu gonna say?"_

Nick froze for a moment, torn between carrying his pizza and answering his cell phone.

As the music continued to come out his pocket Nick quickly shuffled the last few steps to his desk, and dropped his pizza and soda down on it.

_Better not open that for a minute,_ thought Nick when the bottle hit.

He reached into his pocket, and pulled out his phone, checking the number on the display, he decided to answer it.

"Hey bro what's up?...Nah, man I can't, I'm stuck at the observatory all night…..I'm fucking sitting here staring at a monitor all night…It's part of my professor's research or some shit, I don't know…..No, when the computer gets a match I'm supposed to call him….. Supposedly if it happens on my watch I'll be famous or some shit. Either way it's the easiest three credits I've ever earned."

Nick started munching on a slice of pizza while he continued talking on the phone.

"Uh Huh….Really?...Whatever man, tell Miguel he can have her. I'm done with that skanky bitch….Hell yeah I'm serious. I've already put her shit out on the curb. When she gets back from Cancun she can figure out where she's gonna live from now on, 'cause I'm through with her ass."

Nick decided to take a chance and open his two liter. He twisted the cap slowly.

"Dude! She's a total whore! She's cheated on me like three times. Fuck her. I'm done."

_BeepBeep. BeepBeep. BeepBepp. BeepBeep._

Just then the row of computers started making noises.

"Hey bro, let me call you back….The computers are making some fucked up noises, just some shit I don't need right now….Yeah, I'll hit you back later on…..Bye."

Nick set his phone down and planted his foot firmly against the desk and pushed off. He took another bite of his pizza as he and the chair rolled across the floor over to the computers.

When he saw the screen Nick's jaw fell open, his slice of pizza hitting the floor with a _splat!_

There on the status screen was the spectrogram that had occupied the bottom half for months, and on the top half was the exact same one. In the center of the screen there was a single word, flashing over and over.

_Match. Match. Match. Match. Match._

With respect to their spectrograms, stars are not dissimilar from snowflakes, in that no two stars' spectrograms will be exactly alike. A spectrogram is used to determine a star's composition. And two stars may have a _similar_ composition, but it will not be exact. There will be slight variances in the amount of elements in each one. Therefore, there will also be slight variances in their spectrograms.

Nick grabbed the keyboard and started typing. The status screen was replaced by a simulated star field. The image rotated and zoomed in, stopping at a small cluster of dots. A flashing red round bracket highlighted one of the bright white dots.

At the bottom of the screen appeared a set of stellar coordinates.

Grad student Nick Plutowski had just made the most important discovery in human history since the wheel.

He'd discovered another world.

A world with civilization.

Nick grabbed the office phone next to the monitor and hastily punched a number.

"Yeah this is Nick over at the observatory…. I need you wake up the professor….. I don't give a shit if he doesn't want to be disturbed! He'll get up for this!"

Nick hung up the phone, and continued staring at the monitor. He gave a triumphant fist pump and a colorful exclamation.

"Hell Yeah Motherfucker!"

_Gotcha._


	10. 7 A Bloody Rain

Author's Notes: The entirety of this work is to be dedicated to the Memory of Noboru Yamaguchi. May he rest in peace.

I was first introduced to the _Familiar of Zero _anime several months ago, December 2012 to be exact. And I admit I really did not have high hopes going into it. I thought it was just going to be a cheesy Harry Potter knockoff. But, I had plenty of time off due to the Christmas break so I sat and watched it. And to my surprise, I enjoyed it. By the fifth or sixth episode I was hooked. I ended up marathoning all four seasons in just five days. Soon after, I discovered the light novels on Baka-Tsuki. I really enjoyed those as well.

Now I am saddened by the fact that they may not get a proper ending. I suppose it's possible that Yamaguchi left enough notes and material for someone else to finish. After all his death was not sudden at all, and he had plenty of time to make arrangements for his work to be completed in the event of his death. But it will ultimately be up to his publisher whether or not the Novels get finished.

In the mean time it is up to us, the fanfic writers to keep Noboru's legacy alive. If the publisher will not give the Novels a decent finish, then we will. I will now strive to make this story the absolute best I can. If I am succeeding tell me. If I am failing miserably, tell me.

Enjoy the chapter and don't forget to leave a review!

**Begin Story**

_Splish! Splish! Splish!_

The sound of running feet splashing through puddles sounded down the long dark alleyway on this rainy evening in Lutece, Gallia.

Reaching the ally's end, Galen Solet eyed the establishment across the street from him, his eyes slowly scanning the front of the building until he found what he was looking for.

Near the front door of the _Smoking Dragon Inn, _there was a rack of kitchen ladles. The third ladle from the left was turned around backward.

_That's the signal, _thought Galen.

Dressed in a simple hooded commoner's cloak that provided no real protection from the pouring rain, Galen cautiously poked his head out from the alley and into the street. Looking left, and looking right, he saw no pedestrian traffic.

He decided to make his run for it. As quickly as his rain soaked feet would take him, he dashed across the street into the next alley.

Making his way behind the _Smoking Dragon Inn, _Galen slowly and carefully approached a waste barrel behind the bar.

Taking a moment to make sure that no one was paying attention to him; he opened the barrel, and began digging around in it.

Sifting through stinking, rotted vegetables, and rancid meat covered with maggots, Galen continued to brave the disgusting refuse until he found what he came for.

It was a small package wrapped in butcher's paper, and tied securely with a bit of twine.

He quickly placed the package in his rear waist band and closed the barrel.

Galen then carefully made his way back over to the ally entrance. Once again he poked his head out to check traffic, and quickly withdrew back into the shadows.

A patrolling column of Romalian Mage Knights marched down the center of the street, and to the command of "Company Halt!" they stopped in front of the _Smoking Dragon Inn._

The company commander stood directly in front of the Inn, and called out, "Left Face!"

And as one the column of knights turned to the left, facing the _Smoking Dragon Inn._

The owner and proprietor of the Inn came out to inspect the cause of all the commotion. However before he could even completely emerge from the front door, he was pushed back inside by the knight company commander.

The owner plopped to the floor on his bottom, and the commander shoved a piece of paper in his face.

"This is an order of search and seizure. This establishment is suspected of being a front for activities meant to subvert the authority of his Holiness the Pope and the Crown of Gallia as well as a location where such activities are discussed and planned."

"I'm just a bar owner," the proprietor protested, "I've been a loyal subject of the Crown my entire life!"

The troops begin to file into the inn, while customers tried to give them a wide berth.

"No one is to leave!" Shouted the commander to his men. "All patrons are to be questioned and if necessary brought before the magistrate for further processing."

A collective sense of panic reverberated through the bar. Being brought to the magistrate meant only one thing, a quick inquiry and an even quicker execution.

Anyone arrested this evening would be tried tomorrow morning…and dead by noon.

"Search everything, and leave nothing untouched."

The soldiers finished entering the building, and soon the sounds of breaking glass, and shouting bar patrons echoed into the street.

Concealed in the shadows within the side alley, Galen Solet watched the commotion with interest. He knew there was nothing he could do for the unfortunate souls who decided to stop in for a drink tonight. Some would be released, but most would be detained, and fed to the infernal beheading machine tomorrow. Part of him blamed the owner for the catastrophe that now befell his customers. If he had simply paid off the right people, this whole thing might have been avoided.

Then again, it might be more appropriate to pity the poor man. Chances are his head will be one of those that will roll into a basket tomorrow.

Galen decided to take advantage of the calamity, and calmly walked out into the street. Mixing with the crowd who gathered to see what was happening, Galen disappeared into the night.

**Scene Break**

The sound of a door opening accompanied by a ringing bell broke the tranquility currently being enjoyed within Lutece's _Pottery Shack_. Located several blocks away from the now besieged _Smoking Dragon Inn_, it's non-descript nature and location made it barely noticeable during the regular Public Safety sweeps conducted by Romalian Mage Knights that supplanted the Gallian Corp.

In short it was the perfect place to host a group of like-minded individuals dedicated to driving the Romalians out of Gallia and restoring sanity to the streets.

It was the location of Gallia's resistance movement.

Galen Solet walked into the shop, and gave a nod to the woman shopkeeper as he passed by, boot heels sounding loudly with each step Galen took.

He strode off into the back of the shop, away from any potential prying eyes, and entered the store room.

The room was dusty, and full of junked pottery and other unsold goods. It looked as though no one had cleaned this room in months, years even. In the center of the room covering the floor, was an old ornate rug, badly in need of a good beating.

Galen's eyes swept across the room, ensuring that he was in fact alone, and then he knelt down and tugged at one corner of the old dirty rug revealing a hidden trap door.

Looking around one last time, Galen pulled the metal handle, raising the door, and dropped in.

The trap door closed behind him with a _clank!_

Moments later, the shopkeeper came in and replaced the rug.

Galen slowly descended the wooden ladder that led down into the basement, and inner sanctum of the resistance.

When he was but a few steps from the basement floor, Galen felt a sharp poke at the base of his neck.

"Now what would a filthy pig swiver be doing down here in our basement?"

Galen slowly dismounted the ladder, and turned to face his challenger.

Now merely inches from his throat, was the business end of a sharp dagger.

"I wouldn't know Snead." Galen replied, "But if I see any I'll be sure to ask them."

Snead withdrew his dagger from Galen's face.

"Damn the Founder Galen!" Snead replied in his gravelly voice. "Give a holler or some kind of warning before you go climbing down here. I almost filleted your neck open."

Galen clapped the old man on his shoulder. "Good to see you too Snead, now where's Auric?"

"He's waiting for you of course, along with the others."

"Good."

Galen made his way into the next chamber of the store's basement and found five people gathered around a table.

Most gathered here were wealthy merchants and shop owners, privately funding the resistance, all were commoners.

Except one.

Auric Grindelwald hailed from Germania. He had a reputation as a hard drinker and an even harder opponent in a fair fight. He was also a natural leader who had provided a focal point for the Gallian resistance to rally around, however he had one other distinction that separated him from the rest of the group.

He was a magic user.

Auric Grindelwald was a fallen noble.

His crime against the nobility? Falling in love with and marrying a peasant girl. She was running the shop upstairs.

"Welcome Galen!" Auric called out cheerfully as soon as Galen entered the room. "We were starting to worry you might have lost your way…..or your head."

This brought chuckles from the others at the table.

"I'll keep mine for another day; however the same cannot be said of tonight's patrons of the _Smoking Dragon Inn._"

"Oh?" Said one of the merchants. "Another raid?"

"I'm afraid so Byron." Galen replied, "The mages went in just as I retrieved the drop. It's a miracle I wasn't caught up as well."

"Damned arrogant-"Swore Auric as he brought his fist down on the table. "Another one of the Bishop's Public Safety Sweeps,a damned excuse is all it is."

Auric looked around the table. "Viscido is not going to stop until every last commoner in Gallia is either dead or in chains."

"Well." Galen interrupted. "At least the risk I endured tonight was worth it."

And Galen dropped the package onto the table.

Auric picked it up carefully, turned it around in his hand, and tore off the twine.

Slowly unfolding the butcher's paper, Auric revealed a set of carefully folded parchments. A collective gasp came from the assembly as they were unfolded and laid out for all to see.

"These are the patrol routes for the mage knights!" Byron the merchant exclaimed.

"And this page here is the target list for the next set of sweeps beginning in two days," said an incredulous Auric.

He looked up at Galen.

"This is high level information, probably filched from the office of the Bishop himself, where did you get it?"

"I have a source. We don't use names, only dead drops. We have a signal we use outside of the _Smoking Dragon Inn_."

"The place that was just raided?" One of the merchants yelled. "How do we know that your source did not sell you out, or worse yet captured and tortured into giving the drop's location?"

With that the meeting erupted into a chorus of shouts and finger pointing.

"Fool, you'll kill us all!" Byron said to Galen.

After a few moments a high pitched whistle caught everyone's attention.

"Thank you." Said Auric after withdrawing his fingers from his mouth. "I shouldn't have to remind you who the real enemy is or why we are here to begin with!"

Auric stared coldly at the merchants in front of him.

"We don't need the Bishop's machine to kill us. We'll do it for him with our incessant bickering!"

Each member of the resistance looked down, or to the sides, unable to bring themselves to look Auric in the eyes. Deep down they all knew he was right.

Auric continued admonishing them.

"We are a conquered people! The Pope has taken us all hostage and taken over our nation without firing a shot!"

"Our queen is a prisoner in the Palace! Our own troops have been disbanded and scattered to the four corners of Gallia and now public officials swear an oath to serve the Pope, rather than the people!"

"Romalian troops run rampant in the streets and kidnap our friends and neighbors, our wives and children with impunity, and then send them off to their deaths!"

"If I am to die, then I will die a free man! Not some worm crawling before a madman who claims to speak for God!"

Auric now turned to Galen.

"Now Galen please regale us with the manner in which the mage knights happened upon your path this evening."

Galen pursed his lips. "The mages arrived after I did. They marched right up to the inn and stopped. They were not watching the drop sight, nor did they seem interested in the alley way where I was concealed. Also I watched the eyes of the company commander as he went into the building. He did not seem to notice our drop signal at all. If the knights did have fore knowledge of the drop, the barrel where the package was found would have been staked out, and I would not have escaped. It seems to me that the raid was likely a coincidence."

Some at the table looked as though they still weren't convinced.

Galen appealed directly to Auric.

"All of his tips have worked out before, and he has never shown any signs of betrayal." Galen said, trying to reassure him.

"All right, if you say we can trust him, then we can trust him."

Auric paused and looked at each man seated at the table.

"So" Auric said pointing to the patrol plans. "Which target do we strike first?"

**Scene Break**

A vociferous crowd filled the courtyard at the Versailles Palace. Shouting and jeering as the prisoners emerged from the dungeons and led to the machine at the center.

The jeers, however, were not directed at the condemned.

The crowd's animosity was reserved for the man seated above them.

At the end of the courtyard was of course the palace itself, which had a balcony that overlooked the courtyard.

Seated on the balcony was none other than Archbishop Franco Viscido.

The bishop made a point to attend all executions held at the palace because he wanted to assure the nobles that he was in charge, and that God's justice was indeed being done.

Angry as the crowd may be, none dared attack the guards or try to set the prisoners free.

The heavy presence of mage knights that patrolled the upper balcony that wrapped around the courtyard on three sides may have played a part in their reluctance to act.

The Bishop was no fool. He knew he was a hated man, and while he relished in their hatred, and drank it in like fine wine, he also made sure to keep a heavy guard close by at all times.

The prisoners were brought out five at a time, and marched out into the courtyard and onto an elevated platform.

In the center of the platform was the device itself.

It would seem the Halkeginian Nobility had finally embraced technology.

The prisoners were made to face the crowd and the executioner unfurled a rolled piece of parchment and read the charges against them.

The charges were treason, sedition, subversive activities, speaking out against the Crown, (that one went hand in hand with the sedition charge.) and of course heresy.

The first of the condemned lead to the machine and strapped to an upright board called the bascule, and then laid down horizontally, his neck secured in the lunette or frame that held the head and neck in place.

The unfortunate man is staring straight down, down at the basket waiting to receive his head.

The prison guard drum corp would sound a drum roll while the executioner looked up to the Bishop.

Bishop Viscido gave a nod and the blade release switch was pressed.

_Swish!_

The entire execution procedure takes less than two minutes, but it takes less than one second for the blade to do its work.

From the time the release is pressed to the moment the man's head drops into the basket, just seven tenths of a second elapses.

Blood begins to pump from arteries in the torso's severed neck in spurts as the heart continued to beat, striving to sustain a life already departed.

The bascule is tipped and a slanted board connected to the bascule carries the body into a waiting coffin, where it is put aside to be buried with the other day's victims.

With the bascule clear, and the head basket emptied, the next prisoner is brought to the machine. And less than two minutes later, he too is gone.

The blade falls over and over and over again.

In less than ten minutes, all five condemned lives are ended.

A few minutes later, another five are brought out from the dungeon.

This goes on for hours. The jeering crowds thin out until finally, even the Bishop has had enough carnage for one day, he retires to his office.

That evening, the machine stood silent, silhouetted against the double moons of the Halkeginia sky. The scene contained a macabre sort of beauty, if there could ever be such a thing as beauty in a place reeking of death.

The machine waited patiently for the dawn, for the sun to rise and the crowds to gather. It waited for the Bishop, the guards, and of course its daily meal of prisoners.

The bluish pink moonlight glinted off the blade's angled edge.

Crickets chirped, wolves howled, and the blade waited.

**Scene Break**

Five such devices were brought to Gallia by the Bishop. Two resided in Lutece, one in Versailles; while two others roamed the Gallian country side, bringing God's will to the farthest reaches of the Kingdom. Whether or not God willed such indiscriminate slaughter was a topic of debate, but suffice it to say, that the river of blood would flow until the commoners were ready to submit to the Royal Families once more, and bow to the will of the Pope, as the Founder Brimir commanded.

Five devices were sent to each Kingdom as well, along with a representative of the Pope to administer the punishments and place the fear of God in the hearts of commoners everywhere.

Five devices in Albion, five in Germania, five more devices were suppressing rebellions in Romalia itself and none were sent to Tristain.

Tristain, home of the Commoner King, and Kingdom of the heretics who dared to sign a treaty with the elves was the only safe place left for commoners in Halkeginia.

They came, first by the hundreds, and then the thousands, soon tens of thousands of commoners streamed across the borders of Tristain, fleeing the reign of terror that gripped the other kingdoms.

Tristain had a refugee crisis.

They gathered in the forests, the fields, wherever they could find space to place their tents, and look for their loved ones.

They sat and waited.

They waited, and grew restless.

They grew restless and began to talk of war.

They talked of war, and began to form an army.

Though most who fled the chaos were farmers and feudal serfs, many others came from all walks of life and professions.

There were blacksmiths who could make weapons and armor, mercenaries and soldiers, who could train others to fight, and lead, and cooks to supply food. Some brought horses, others brought guns, and all brought a searing hatred of the Pope, the Royals, and the nobility, who never ceased in their attempts to hijack their lands and their lives for their own purposes.

Almost spontaneously, organization began to take shape and a division of soldiers and officers began to emerge. Those with the experience to lend began training others.

But even so something was missing. Something was still lacking. A leader had yet to emerge. One who could take the pent up rage and frustration that ran through the camps like a river, direct its flow towards those who deserved to be crushed by its unforgiving current, a leader to stand as a symbol against the oppressors who denied them their liberties for far too many generations, a leader who could unite the different nationalities that made up their ranks, and convince them to battle under one flag.

They needed a man of equal strength in both combat and will.

Someone they could all respect.

The commoners needed their commander, their hero, _their King._

**Scene Break**

"Your Majesty!"

Cardinal Mazarin looked urgently at Saito, as he read the latest missive handed to him by the Cardinal.

"There are 30,000 refugees from the surrounding kingdoms already camped out on our fields and more arrive every day. This is a crisis!" the Cardinal said.

The King looked genuinely surprised. He'd heard the reports of the trouble in Gallia and the other Kingdoms, but he had no idea they were this bad.

_This is my fault for being stuck in the palace all the time, _thought the King.

_I really need to get out more._

More than just the situation being a surprise, but the sheer numbers involved was nothing short of astounding. Thirty thousand refugees amounted to an almost ten percent increase in population. This was surely to increase the strain on the Kingdom's finite resources.

The Cardinal seemed to be able to read Saito's thoughts.

"How will we feed all these people?"

Another voice interrupted the Cardinal.

"Even more so, what does this influx of people mean for the security of the Kingdom?"

It was Alexander Dufresne, who chimed in.

Saito looked up at Alexander and replied.

"They're just running away from a bad situation. I doubt they have come here to cause trouble."

"Maybe not, Your Majesty, but given enough time to sit and stew about their circumstances they will give in to their frustrations, and take up arms. I think it would be wise to take steps to ensure that those frustrations are not pointed in the wrong direction."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with the…the…."

Cardinal Mazarin paused to consider the strange being that was Alexander.

"Uh, what exactly are you anyway?"

Alexander smiled. Though it was his decision to remain at Saito and Louise's side until those who were behind the assassination attempt were caught, and to come clean about his true nature being an artificial life form, he still could not help but find himself amused by the strange looks he received from the people that made up this land's population.

_You'd think those that were accustomed to life among magic would be less disconcerted by something like an android._

"Just address me like you would any other person Cardinal. It's simpler that way."

"Yes of course."

Mazarin turned back to the King.

"Like I was saying, I have to agree with Sir Alexander here, given enough time these refugees will become violent, and there is a real possibility that they will strike at the first target of opportunity."

"Meaning myself and Louise."

"Yes, Your Majesty. We must send in the Army."

Saito stared straight ahead while considering his options.

The Cardinal leaned in closer, and tried to reason with the King.

"If for no other reason, we should at least ensure that they do not spread to occupy any more land than they already do."

Saito looked over to Alexander. He could already see the wide grin spreading on the Android's face.

"Hey Alex, wanna get out of the house for bit?"

Alexander's grin reached full spread.

"I thought you'd never ask."

**Scene Break**

Though it took nearly a half day's ride, Saito, Louise, and Alexander reached the main refugee encampment just across the border from Gallia.

Surrounding the Royal party was Agnes and her Musketeer Corps.

Once Cardinal Mazarin picked his figurative jaw up off the floor after the King announced his intention to ride out and see these refugees for himself, he insisted that they bring along heavy security.

Agnes, who was still smarting over the elven assassin incident, was all too happy to volunteer.

She dismounted along with the King and Queen, and walked out to meet the refugees.

When they reached them, Saito and Louise were floored by what they saw.

What greeted them was a suffering humanity.

Far from the misdirected hostility feared by Mazarin, many people wept and embraced Saito and Louise as they made their way through the crowds. One elderly woman presented the Queen with a handmade quilt.

Louise was unsure how to respond, so she smiled and hugged the old lady.

They could see it on their faces, the fear of what they fled and the strain of having to stay alive in such deplorable conditions. The women and children were haggard looking, faces soiled with dirt and fatigue.

The men on the other hand showed no signs of fear, or fatigue.

They were angry, and spoiling for a fight.

Some dared even to approach the King and share their stories.

Saito and Louise listened to them. Tales of neighbors being woken in the middle of the night, and whisked off never to be seen again, and of husbands, wives, and even children who went off to partake of their daily lives only to vanish without a trace.

Saito's world turned cold when one peasant described the machine being used to execute those unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The King asked him to repeat his description of the hated device.

Louise noticed the fearful expression on her husband's face. She leaned in close.

"What is it?" She whispered.

"Do you remember the stash of weapons from my world the Romalian's had when we fought in that last crusade?"

Louise nodded.

"They found a guillotine."

"Guilty teen?"

"No, a guillotine. It's a mechanical device used for executions in my world's ancient history. It was banned long ago, but it seems that Brimir's portals brought one here."

Saito turned to look at the crowd of refugees.

"And they're using it on the commoners."

Louise turned to the peasant who was speaking to her husband.

"How many people have been killed by this machine?"

"Many thousands," was the man's reply.

Louise and Saito looked at each other. Thousands. Thousands killed in mere months. This was not about justice, or even about putting down a rebellion. Such wholesale slaughter was murder, plain and simple.

Something needed to be done, but what?

"Your Majesty, If I may." Alexander said while taking Saito by the arm.

Saito went a short distance with the android where they could talk in private.

"Saito, you are not thinking like a leader."

Saito simply stared at him blankly. Alexander continued.

"You are the Commoner King. These people will be looking to you."

The android leaned over and whispered in the King's ear.

"_You are the leader of this rebellion now, whether you like it or not."_

Saito's eyes grew wide and he looked up at Alexander, who was at least a head taller than him.

"Understand?" Alexander asked while giving a serious expression.

He patted Saito and the shoulder and finished.

"This is your moment Saito. Seize it!"

Saito looked over at the crowds. Several thousand faces all looked back expectedly, waiting for him to speak.

He walked over to an empty hay cart, climbed up to the top and faced the crowd.

Saito Hiraga was never a great student in school, and he was never especially fond of history. He remembered struggling to stay awake in his Japanese, and international history classes, lamenting that he was never going to use this stuff. Now he was trying to recall the great Japanese military leaders he studied, like Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Shogun of Japan.

_If my teachers could see me now, _he thought wryly.

Saito continued to take in the crowd, who were still silently waiting to hear what he had to say. He thought of the hardships they must have endured, the friends and loved ones they have lost.

_What do I say to these people?_

Saito pursed his lips and began to address the gathered peasants.

"Good Evening." He began somewhat shyly.

"My wife and I have heard about the atrocities being committed in Gallia. We know about the inquiries, the executions, we know that you have lost friends, neighbors, and loved ones. I wish I could say the right words, or use the right incantations to bring them back, but I can't. I'm just a simple commoner, like all of you."

"You are not a simple commoner!" One peasant shouted.

"You are the Hero of Tristain! The hero who stood against the 70,000!" Shouted another.

"You destroyed the Ancient Dragon!"

Slowly a chant began building from within the crowd of peasants.

"_Saito! Saito! Saito! Saito! Saito! Saito! Saito! Saito! Saito!"_

Suddenly one peasant called out.

"All hail the Commoner King!"

"_All hail the Commoner King!"_

Maybe it was the chants, or the adoration of the crowd. Maybe it was an innate talent that he always had that was slowly awakening. Whatever the reason, Saito's confidence slowly grew. Words came to him easier, he felt surer of himself, and more certain that this was something that he was meant to do.

Saito stood up to his full height, and almost as quickly as they began, the chants stopped. A hush had fallen upon the crowd once more.

The King began to address them again.

"On behalf of myself, and my wife the Queen, I would like to say welcome to Tristain!"

The crowd cheered.

"We promise that we shall do all in our power to ensure that you are protected as long as you are in our borders!"

The cheering grew louder.

"I will direct our agricultural minister to release some of our grain stores to ensure that you are properly fed!"

The crowd went wild.

"_Saito! Saito! Saito! Saito! Saito! Saito! Saito!"_

Amidst the sea of suffering before him, Saito knew what had to be done. The atrocities, the murders, the sheer evil of what had been done to the people of Gallia, to Tabitha's people, could not, _must not,_ be ignored. Saito had not felt this enraged since King Joseph had kidnapped Tabitha and nearly forced her to drink the _Potion of Lost Heart_, which had driven her mother insane.

So many times before, he had promised to protect the people that mattered to him: Louise, Tiffania, Tabitha, and all his other friends.

Now he felt the same towards the throngs of peasants before him, the defenseless, the downtrodden, and the innocent.

He had to protect them as well.

"Who has done this to you?"

The crowd of peasants answered as one.

"_The Bishop of Gallia!"_

"What will you do then? Sit here like the huddled masses you are? Or will you fight?"

"_Fight!"_

"Then we shall go to Gallia, and meet this Bishop! We will make sure he pays for his crimes against the Gallian people! We will see to it that he never, ever, harms another soul again!"

The crowd exploded.

They rushed forward to the hay cart where Saito stood, stretching, reaching, trying to touch their savior. It soon became clear to Louise and the others that Saito could end up being crushed by the crowds.

Louise cast a _Levitation_ spell on Saito, and slowly moved him away from the crowd to safety.

Upon landing, the King began issuing orders.

"Agnes, begin organizing a selection for those who can fight. We need to train these people, most have no military experience.

"Alexander." The android turned to Saito.

"Please work with Agnes to start looking for people with military skills, soldiers, mercenaries, etc. See if we can co-opt these folks into becoming officers. We can't invade Gallia until we forge these people into a proper army."

"Invade Gallia?"

This was from Louise.

Saito turned to see Louise staring at him, wide-eyed and dumbfounded. She looked as though she didn't know whether to be frightened or impressed.

"Yes Louise, invade. Someone has to stop this guy."

Louise had known Saito long enough to recognize that look in his eye. It was the same look he had when she told him that she was going to take the rear guard mission in Albion, when Tabitha went missing in Gallia, and when Lord Bidashal almost killed them at Alhambra Castle during the mission to rescue her.

Saito was determined to see this through.

So Louise simply nodded, and affirmed her husband's determination.

"Louise."

Saito placed both of his hands on her shoulders, and looked directly at his wife.

"I need you to return to Tristania."

"Oh no, you think I'm going to let you take this on by yourself? You really are a stupid dog to the end aren't you?"

"Please Louise. I need you to organize the release and transportation of the grain so that we can feed these people. I also need you to keep running the Kingdom while I am here."

Saito paused and looked at Louise with pleading eyes, desperately hoping that she will understand.

"I also need you to be safe. I can't lose you."

Louise's wide-eyed expression returned, she never could resist feeling touched when Saito showed concern for her.

She leaned forward and closed her eyes.

Saito answered Louise's sign, and leaned in to kiss her.

Alexander looked over at Agnes.

"They do that a lot?"

Agnes sighed. "Every chance they get."

Louise smiled at her husband as their lips parted.

She looked over at the android.

"Take care of my husband metal man."

"You have my word mistress. He won't get a scratch."

"I heard that. Not a scratch."

With that Louise headed toward the horse to begin her journey back to Tristania.

Alexander looked over at Saito.

"You don't think she took that literally do you?"

Agnes decided to chime in.

"Now if the King really does get a scratch you'll have to answer to her."

"What's the worst that could happen?"

Saito looked at Alexander.

"She'll melt you with a Void Spell."

The issue of whether or not an android is capable of a shudder notwithstanding, he did seem to consider the King's words for a moment.

He walked up to Saito.

"Perhaps you better just stay next to me."

**Scene Break**

_Whoosh!_

The man blinked repeatedly as the hood was drawn from the top of his head. He looked around trying to take in his surroundings.

It seemed that he was in some dimly lit shack. A barn perhaps?

The barn door was open, and he could see that it was the middle of the night.

He looked forward into the darkness. He could almost make out a human like form in the black emptiness, but he could not be sure.

"Delivered as promised mistress."

The man jumped as a voice spoke next to him. Or at least he tried to jump. He seemed to be tied to a chair.

"Thank you Jerome, said the voice in the darkness, you may go. Wait for me outside."

"Yes mistress." The man known as Jerome said, and disappeared out the door.

The man tried to see and get some idea who is captor was, but to no avail. Whoever she was, it would seem she was perfectly concealed in the darkness.

He decided to ask a question.

"Do you have any idea who you just kidnapped?"

"Winston Gillett, the President of the Royal Bank of Tristania."

"You seem to have me at a disadvantage. Ms…."

The woman in the shadows ignored his attempt to draw out her identity, and began her queries.

"Several weeks ago the finance minister of the Tristain Royal Treasury received a transfer payment from a Romalian shipping company, in the amount of exactly ten thousand ecus. According to the finance minister, you personally came to the treasury to receive the funds and transport it to its destination, presumably your bank. I know the funds were used to pay for an attempt to assassinate the Queen of Tristain. What I don't know is who took possession of the funds once they reached your bank."

I-I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about."

"Winston, Winston, Winston." The female voice said in a sulky tone.

"I already heard from the assassin himself the amount that he was paid to do the job. The transfer from Romalia to the Treasury, and then to your bank is the only one on record for that exact amount. So this can only mean one of two things. You were either the middle man in the conspiracy, in which case the most you face is a lengthy stay in the dungeon, or you were the mastermind of a plot to commit regicide, in which case you will face execution."

"Which is it Winston?"

"If I tell you anything, I'm a dead man."

The figure in the darkness raised a wand. Winston's chair left the ground and began rotating in a column of air. He went higher and higher, spinning faster and faster. He eventually broke through the roof of the barn and rose hundreds of mails into the sky.

The woman shouted over the roar of the wind.

"What makes you think you'll fare any better with me?"

And with that the column of air dissipated, and Winston came crashing back to the ground, the woman caught him with a _Levitation _spell just before he hit.

Winston Gillett was crying.

"Pleeeeeeease!" You're a noble woman! You have to understand! A commoner on the throne, we had to do something!

"It's the Queen's fault!" Winston raged. "She's the one who married that peasant, and allowed him to ascend to the throne. If it wasn't for her our noble traditions would never have been threatened."

By now Winston's voice was dripping with hatred.

"This is all her doing, that commoner loving whore!"

The woman then stepped out the shadows. She was tall and wearing an emerald hooded cloak.

She reached up to pull back her hood, revealing her face.

Winston Gillett's mouth went dry.

"D-D-D-Duchess Valliere!"

The Duchess smiled at her prey with killing intent.

"Please Winston, you tried to murder my daughter and now you've just insulted her honor in the worst possible way. I don't see any point in observing formalities. Tonight it's just Karin."

Winston just whimpered.

"Please Duchess. I was just a middleman. I only arranged for the gold to be shipped to those who hired the elf. I swear to you that was the extant of my involvement."

Karin raised her wand.

"I still need a name Winston."

The poor banker squirmed in his seat. There was no way out of this. His choice was give the name and die later, or not and die now.

Karin seemed to sense this conflict going on within him, and smiled, enjoying it thoroughly.

The banker finally broke.

"Kearns!" He shouted. "Lord Bartholomew Kearns!"

"Thank you Winston."

And with that poor Winston's usefulness had run out. Karin raised her wand, and once more the hapless banker rode atop a swirling column of air.

"Please Duchess! You said you'd let me live."

Karin the Heavy Wind smiled.

"I never said that." She whispered.

This time the tornado was of the cutter variety. Winston's chair and the binds that secured him to it disintegrated. His clothes tore from his body. He screamed as the flesh began to tear from his body.

Then Karin turned up the intensity.

Though she may not recognize the term centrifugal force, Karin certainly understood its effect. As the column of air began to rotate faster, Winston's bloody limbs were strung out to the sides. Rotating still faster, his limbs tore off from their sockets. They collided with the sides of the cutter tornado and were torn to bloody pieces. Winston's anguished screams finally died out as the rest of him followed suit.

With nothing left of Winston to torture, Karin let the tornado dissipate.

She turned and calmly walked out of the barn only to find Jerome waiting for her as ordered.

His face was pale as a sheet.

_Splat!_

Jerome noticed something falling back to the ground.

_Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat!_

Like a macabre precipitation, blood and entrails began to rain down upon mistress and servant.

Ignoring the crimson rain, Karin was deep in thought.

She could not dismantle this conspiracy alone. Not without revealing her true nature as Karin the Heavy Wind. No, she was going to need someone who could do her dirty work for her and maybe enjoy it, someone who hated the nobility and would love the opportunity to eliminate a few of them.

Karin turned to her servant, his face now red from the gory downpour.

"Jerome, I have another task for you."

"W-w-w-what is it mistress?"

"Bring me Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt."

**Scene Break**

Robert de Sable sat in what was once the office of Prince Wales at Newcastle, Albion going through the latest missives from the rebellion against the nobility. One dispatch in particular caught his eye.

It was the message he's been waiting a long time for.

_The King of Tristain has assumed command of the Commoner's Army._

"Finally." Robert whispered.

"I was beginning to think the kid wasn't going to do it."

Now it was time to begin the next phase of his plan to save Halkeginia.

Robert called for his second in command.

"You wanted to see me sir?"

"Yes Beckett please come in."

Beckett stepped inside the office.

"Bring Queens Henrietta and Charlotte to the chapel at once."

Beckett blinked at this strange order.

"Sir?"

"I need to speak to both of them, alone."

"Yes Sir!"

And with that Beckett left to carry out Robert's orders.

Robert slowly sat down at his desk and stared into space. It was time to tell the Queens the truth. Well, as much truth as he could spare right now. The rest he'll have to save for Saito.

Robert gave a small shudder.

_If I fail…._

He didn't want to think about that, because he knew the consequences of failure.

If he fails, Halkeginia, Earth, and maybe all of existence will fade into nothingness.


	11. 8 Robert's Confession

Author's Notes: You have no idea how long I have been looking forward to writing this chapter.

Finally, I can answer the question that many of you have been asking ever since I first posted this story: Who is Robert de Sable?

Read and Review

**Begin Story**

Queen Henrietta knelt praying in the chapel of Fortress Newcastle. After months spent here as "guests" of Robert de Sable, the commoner revolutionary who had kidnapped her and Queen Charlotte of Gallia, they were eventually allowed to roam freely about the fortress, so long as they did not cross its perimeter.

Despite their new found freedom of movement, Henrietta spent most of her spare time here, praying to the Founder, praying to God, and whoever else might be occupying the spiritual plane of existence.

Though Henrietta was a devoted follower of the Brimiric faith her entire life, less so since the betrayal of Pope Vittorio during the last crusade, paying homage to God was not the primary force that drove her desire to establish such a deep spiritual connection to this place.

_He_ had died here.

Prince Wales.

Her cousin, her friend, her love.

Betrayed and murdered by the Viscount Wardes, Prince Wales was the last of Albion's Royal Family, their only hope for the future, a hope that was snuffed out by Wardes, and the rest of Reconquista.

Prince Wales and Henrietta had carried on a secret relationship for years, beginning when the Queen was only fourteen years of age. The couple, in their young and naïve view of the world, foolishly believed that their love would be everlasting, but reality eventually caught up with them. Henrietta was forced by politics to enter into an arranged marriage with the Emperor of Germania, and had asked her childhood friend Louise Valliere and her new familiar to retrieve a love letter that she had written to the Prince. A letter which if made public, would result in a disastrous scandal, and potentially threaten the alliance between Germania and Tristain.

Accompanied by the Griffin Knight captain Viscount Wardes, who also happened to be the fiancé of Louise Valliere, which was a pairing arranged by her mother Karin, they made their way to Albion to retrieve the letter. There Wardes finally showed his true colors, betrayed them, and tried to marry Louise by force. Thanks to the timely intervention of Saito, who by then had become aware of his own true nature as Gandalfr, the Viscount's scheme was thwarted, but not before he was able to kill the Prince by piercing him through the chest.

And just like that, the light of Henrietta's life was forever extinguished.

However, thanks to the Ring of Andavari, Wales was briefly returned to life, though it was all a deception brought about by the ring's ability to give false life to an inanimate corpse, by some miracle she was allowed a final good bye with her lover. She also promised him that she would allow herself to love another man, though at the time she didn't believe that would ever be possible.

So one could easily imagine the Queen's surprise when she realized her feelings for Saito, but whether those feelings were genuine love or a reaction to the loneliness and frustrations of her position as Queen, she had yet to understand.

_Perhaps, _she thought with a sigh,_ I never will understand._

And suddenly her thoughts turned to her strange host, Robert de Sable.

A commoner who had organized a revolution on Albion which had spread to the rest of Halkeginia after the abduction of the Queens, Robert was a true mystery to Henrietta.

And to a person who had been trained in the art of politics, and thus had developed a keen ability to read people, meeting an enigma such as Robert was a rare event indeed.

_He's just a commoner, and yet he has so many traits that just scream nobility. He's so well educated, he has such a commanding presence, and he knows things, things that no one but those in the highest echelons of government should know._

Things like Louise's Void powers, and that Saito is Gandalfr.

_How does he know so much?_

There were other things about Robert that she could not figure out, things that utterly confounded her. Like the storybooks in Robert's library.

As part of her Royal upbringing Henrietta had received a rather extensive education, and thus was well versed in all the great classics of Halkeginian literature, but the books that Robert had lent her and Tabitha to read were stories that she had never heard of before.

Titles like _Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe, Moby Dick, and The Great Gatsby._

These books were all in Halkeginian language and lettering, the paper, and ink they were printed on seemed to come from Halkeginia, but the way the stories flowed, and some of the phrasing was just different. The locations described in the books were of places that she had never heard of before, and took place in strange and exotic cities.

Places with names like _London, Paris, Berlin, and New York._

It was almost like these stories were from somewhere else.

Henrietta glanced over at Tabitha, who had been brought in by the guards to wait here for Robert.

As per usual she had her nose in a book.

Henrietta craned her neck to read the title.

_A Tale of Two Cities._

Everything about this man was strange, and that seriously unnerved her.

There was also the matter of the book that Robert always carried with him. Thick with the black leather cover and maroon border around the front, she had tried many times to read the gold embossed lettering that made up the book's title but had never been able to.

Her curiosity was such that it threatened to drive away her sanity.

Just what was that book anyway?

And why did he guard it so jealously?

Henrietta looked over at the two guards standing near the chapel exit. Henrietta and Charlotte certainly weren't going anywhere soon.

Just then the doors opened and Robert himself strode into the chapel.

He made his way to the front and stood at the minister's pulpit.

In the exact spot where Wales died, Henrietta noticed.

"You may wait outside" Robert said to the guards.

Henrietta and Tabitha looked at one another. They were going to be alone with Robert?

They began to tense up.

Robert sensed this change in both of them, because as soon as the guards withdrew, he said, "It would be wise to forestall your desire to harm me until you've heard me out."

Both Queens looked at one another, giving puzzling expressions.

They both wondered what could possibly be so important that Robert suddenly needed an audience with them after keeping them locked up for so many months.

What had changed?

Robert looked seriously at both Queens, trying to choose his words carefully.

_Well, I knew it would come to this eventually._ He thought.

Robert began with a question.

"What has Saito told you about his home?"

Again the Queens gave puzzled expressions. Only a few knew the truth about Saito being from another world.

Then again Robert has already shown to know many things he should not.

Henrietta spoke up.

"Saito…. he's from _Rub' al Khali_, the East."

"_Rub' al Khali_ Huh?" Robert said while rubbing his chin. "So is that what they're calling Earth these days?"

Both women nearly fell over. Robert somehow knew the truth about Saito?

Henrietta had had enough.

She exploded in Robert's face.

"Who the hell are you? Really? How do you know all these things? Only a few people know that Saito is from another world! How did you know about Louise's Void, or that she can cast _World Door_? You claim to be a simple commoner and yet you know things that no commoner should! You can read and write fluently! You are educated and poised and possess the bearing of someone from a noble upbringing!"

Henrietta stood there shaking with frustration, fists clenched tightly at her sides. She looked as though she might burst from the inside out from her anger.

She repeated her question, emphasizing each word.

"_Who…..are….you?"_

Robert stood silent for a moment, and then without a word he placed a small object on the lectern.

It was small, and round, and flattened somewhat, about an inch thick, and almost six inches in diameter. Almost like a thick disc.

Henrietta and Tabitha stared at the strange object with curiosity.

Robert touched the object and a bright light burst forth from a small hole on its top.

The beam expanded outward from its source and coalesced to form an object.

Composed of well defined and highly distinct lines, a large sphere hung in the air and slowly rotated.

The women place their hands over their mouths and gasped.

Tabitha dropped her book. It hit the floor with a loud "_Bang!"_ that echoed throughout the empty chapel.

She made no move to pick it up, and continued staring slack jawed at the impossible display before her.

"This is called a hologram. It is a picture created by light projected from this small device here."

"What you are seeing here is holographic projection of your world."

Suddenly Robert placed his hands on the rotating sphere and began to move it. He placed two fingers on a point on the sphere's upper half and pulled them apart. The space between his fingers expanded until the sphere was replaced by a map of Halkeginia.

Lines marking borders and names of cities drew themselves on a map made entirely of light.

Henrietta could not believe what she was seeing. Such things were not supposed to be possible, and yet there it was right in front of her.

Robert then tapped the map, and it shrank back down, absorbed back into the sphere that had suddenly reappeared.

Tabitha and Henrietta stared at the slowly rotating sphere. For the first time, they could see for themselves just how the continent of Halkeginia fit into the larger world.

And a larger world was just what the sphere was. They could see other lands as they rotated past; lands, even whole continents, they did not even know existed.

Moreover, they were shocked to discover their world was _round._

How could such a ludicrous thing even be possible?

Robert walked up to the sphere, and demonstrated its non-corporeal nature by placing his arm right through it. However, he then placed his hand on the sphere and with flick of his wrist, spun it around and around. After he removed his hand, the sphere slowed down on its own until it resumed its original slow rotation.

Robert again touched the object on the lectern and the lines that made up the sphere and continents became fuzzy, and the entire image condensed into a vertical white line that was then sucked back into the object it had come from.

Robert decided to let the women take a moment to absorb what they just seen.

There was only one place in Henrietta's mind, where wonders such as the one she had just witnessed could possibly happen.

She fixed her stare at Robert.

"You're from Saito's world…..aren't you?"

Robert chuckled at her question.

"No." Robert answered flatly. "I was born in Tristania."

Henrietta's face bore her confusion.

"But…that light….that object….." She said as she gestured toward the strange device next to Robert.

Robert held his hand up to silence the Queen.

"Please allow me to correct myself Your Majesties."

Robert pursed his lips.

"I _will _be born in Tristania….in about a millennia."

Henrietta felt as though she might faint.

Tabitha sat and stared, trembling slightly.

To be able to move through time, like turning back the pages of a book, was supposed to be impossible!

The chapel's three occupants waited in absolute silence for several long and awkward moments.

Finally, Tabitha spoke one word.

"Impossible."

"Oh I assure you Queen Charlotte, that it is quite possible." Robert replied.

"I can also assure you, that I came here with a specific mission in mind, one that affects not only this world, but Earth as well."

"And what mission is that?" Henrietta asked angrily.

"You journeyed an entire millennia through time for what, to destroy the nobility?"

Henrietta felt her temper rising. If what Robert was saying was true, then he had no right to even be here, let alone be interfering with Halkeginian politics.

How many lives have been lost in a rebellion that probably should never have happened?

Robert knelt down so that he could be eye level with the seated Queen.

"I did not come here to destroy the nobility, I came to save it."

"Save it?" Henrietta snapped back. "By encouraging the commoners to kill us all?"

"You're right. I don't give a damn about the institution that is the nobility. I am only interested in saving the Markey race."

"The Markey race… do you mean us?"

Robert stood up and walked back over to the lectern.

"Yes Your Majesty, I mean you, the mages."

Robert paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.

_I've come this far, I might as well tell them._

"You see Your Majesties, where I am from; you're dead, all of you. The mages have passed into legend, and magic no longer exists on Halkeginia."

"You're extinct."

Henrietta and Charlotte sat in stunned silence. There was really nothing to say. Robert had just told them that the mages, the undisputed rulers of all Halkeginia, the ones who could create fire from nothing, level forests with a cutter tornado, and command the dragons, the trolls, the vampires, and every other great beast in this land, were doomed.

All the power and wisdom of this world at their disposal, and they were destined to become nothing more than dust.

What force in this universe could possibly be powerful enough to wipe out the mages?

It would have to be nothing less than the power of God himself.

"Now I ask you again, Your Majesty, what has Saito told you about his world?"

"Uhh" Henrietta's voice was shaking. She wiped a few tears from her eyes.

"He told us that there is no magic there. Instead they rely on something called technology to live their everyday lives. He described some of it to us. It sounds really wonderful. They have moving pictures that tell stories, and machines that fly."

"Has Saito ever told you anything of the politics of his world? Has he ever described the wars that are fought by his people?"

Henrietta thought for a moment. Louise had told her of the many wonderful and amazing things that she saw while honeymooning in Saito's world. But she had never mentioned anything of war or political strife of any kind. In fact Louise said that Saito had once mentioned that no one in his country even went to war.

Could Saito have lied? Impossible! Saito was the most honorable man she knew, a hero! A world that could produce such a person had to be a great and righteous place. Saito's world was a peaceful one where people flew, and had even gone to the moon without magic.

Robert seemed to know what Henrietta was thinking.

"Despite what Saito may have told you, his people are truly dangerous and violent."

Henrietta looked up at Robert. She refused to believe that. Not after witnessing the courage and selflessness displayed by Saito. Not after she'd fallen so completely in love with him.

Surely such a man would come from a peaceful and enlightened society.

"I don't believe you." Henrietta said flatly.

"Your Majesty you have already seen the evidence with your own eyes."

Henrietta shook her head, trying desperately to hold back the sobs that threatened to overwhelm her. Tabitha just continued to stare, eyes blank and not even blinking.

Robert decided to try and appeal to Henrietta's sensibilities.

"Please Your Majesty, try and think about this logically. The Staff of Destruction, The Zero Fighter, The Great Spear, The Steel Dragon. Do any of these things seem as though they would be the work of a peaceful people?"

Henrietta stared ahead. She was rocking slightly, her eyes were wide and one could almost see the pieces falling into place in her mind.

Robert continued his unrelenting assault on her preconceived notions about Saito's people.

"The people of Saito's world have elevated death and war to an art form, and when they get here, and rest assured Your Majesty they are coming, they will paint their masterpiece with the blood of your descendents."

Tabitha and Henrietta felt as though they were going to vomit.

Robert genuinely felt bad for them. He did not wish to share this information with them, but he felt it necessary to complete his mission.

He knelt before the seated Henrietta and took her hands.

Henrietta was not entirely sure why, but she did not resist when Robert touched her. Maybe she was just vulnerable, and needed to be comforted, maybe she was just in shock, but for whatever reason, Robert's touch seemed to take some of her sadness away. She actually began to feel better.

Robert spoke to both her and Charlotte in a softened tone.

"Saito's world is in essence a world of commoners. They have no magical abilities whatsoever. And they have achieved some truly amazing and wonderful things."

Henrietta looked up and stared at Robert's eyes. He gently patted her hand and continued.

"And they will achieve many more things. One day, the people of Earth will gain the ability to travel among the stars, and they will go to many, many different worlds."

This got Tabitha and Henrietta's attention.

"More worlds?" Tabitha asked.

"You mean there are others besides this one and Saito's world?" Henrietta asked.

"Oh yes!" Robert replied. "There are millions more, billions even. And many of them have civilizations of their own. Your world is an infinitesimal speck floating in the greater universe."

"And Saito's people have been to all of them?"

"Well many of them, and they are discovering more every day, but yours was the first."

"They came here first?"

"Yes, and while now they travel to other worlds observing a strict code of ethics, those ethics did not yet exist when they arrived here. The humans learned many hard lessons on Halkeginia. Unfortunately, those lessons came at the expense of your people."

"What happened?" Asked Henrietta.

Robert thought hard, trying to recall his history lessons on early Earth stellar exploration. Unlike a certain Earthling, Robert was fond of history, and studied it voraciously.

"Ironically it was Saito himself who unwittingly led the humans to Halkeginia. You see, his disappearance triggered an investigation, which culminated with the discovery of your sun. After the discovery of life on another world, the humans began to pursue the technology to travel to other stars in earnest."

Both Queens listened to Robert with rapt attention.

"The first human starships will arrive about four centuries from now. And for a while interactions between the two worlds was peaceful. There was a cultural exchange, and an exchange of ideas. The humans even began to study how the mages were able to manipulate magic."

"However, roughly one hundred years after their arrival, war broke out between the humans and the mages. I have researched as much as I can, and records from the war are either sealed or destroyed. It is unknown who struck first, but what is known is the outcome. The mages were obliterated. I'm sorry Your Highness, but your people simply could not stand against the technology of Earth."

"So it's true, Saito's people will kill us."

"Yes, and they will use knowledge gained from studying you to do it."

Robert pulled out a white pendant from under his shirt. It was the same one he wore the night he kidnapped Henrietta and Charlotte.

"One of the fruits of their studies. This pendant puts out a magic suppression field. Essentially it prevents magic from being cast within a certain radius. This is the reason your spells did not work when you tried to kill me in the ballroom."

"I don't understand, if all of this is not going to happen for hundreds of years, why come this far back to save the Markey's? And why launch a revolution of all things?"

Robert went back to the lectern and reactivated his holographic device.

This time instead of the Halkeginian globe, an image of a man appeared.

"Franco Viscido, he is currently the Archbishop in charge of administering the Church in Gallia. While there he has systematically murdered thousands of your subjects Queen Charlotte."

Tabitha's eyes narrowed.

_Thousands?_

Robert continued his presentation.

"If you think he's bad now, just wait until he becomes Pope."

Henrietta went pale.

"Pope?"

"In a few years the current Pope will die, under suspicious circumstances I might add."

"After your upcoming Windstone Crisis becomes reality, Viscido will rule what land remains with an iron fist. Millions will die under his rule and many more will die from his disastrous attempts to expel the elves from the Holy Land, and he will go down in your history as one of Halkeginia's most villainous despots."

Robert pointed dramatically at the holographic image.

"This man will be responsible for continuing to perpetuate the rule of the nobility after the Windstone crisis, and he will create deep generational scars that will resurface during the war between the mages and the humans."

"What do you mean?"

"After Viscido's death the anger among the commoners will be so great that it will create a state of animosity even deeper than it is now. When the humans arrive and go to war with the mages, the commoners will be all too willing to help with the extermination of their oppressors."

"So it is my hope that by stopping Viscido now and breaking the power of the nobility, I can create the political and societal changes necessary to build a technological based civilization on Halkeginia. This way, by the time the humans arrive, you will be on a much more equal footing with them, and war may be averted.

Tabitha spoke up next.

"Why save us?"

"Exactly, if we, the mages are so hated, why are you trying to save us?"

It was Robert's turn to shudder; truth was he wasn't entirely sure if he should share this with anyone from this time period, with the possible exception of Saito. He decided he'd told them this much already, might as well give them the full picture.

"It turns out…that a future without the Markey race is not a very bright one, and I mean that literally."

Robert hesitated, they might not understand this, but he pressed on.

"A new threat has arisen, something that technology is powerless to stop. The stars have begun to go out one by one, and it is beyond the ability of modern science to explain why. I have devoted my life to studying the lost mage culture on Halkeginia, and my studies have given me a unique insight into a possible cause."

"Someone or something is using Void magic to stop the fusion that drives the stars."

"Feee you shun?"

"Trust me Your Majesty, it would take me entirely too long to explain to you the true nature of a star, and even after that you probably would just be even more confused, so for now let me just say that some great Void power is roaming around out there putting out the stars. And the reasons for which we do not understand."

"The only thing that can possibly counter this threat was destroyed centuries ago, and that is the Markey race."

Robert clasped his hands together and began to almost plead with the two Queens in front of him.

"We need the mages. If I do not succeed in preventing their extinction, there will not be a Halkeginia, or an Earth, or maybe even a Universe."

Robert left them to chew on his words for a moment while went over to the chapel door. He knocked and a guard answered. He whispered something to the guard, who then hurriedly took off.

Robert then returned to the two waiting Queens.

"Queen Charlotte, I need you to return to Gallia. Take charge of your kingdom, and stop Viscido before he causes any more deaths. Oh, and one other thing."

Robert picked up the holographic projector and gave it to Tabitha.

"When you see Saito, make sure that he gets this. Have him press his thumb here." He said, showing her where Saito was to do so.

Just then Beckett came in through the chapel door. He was carrying Tabitha's staff and Henrietta's scepter.

"Beckett." Robert said. "You will accompany Queen Charlotte back to Gallia."

"Sir?" Becket asked incredulously. "You're letting them go?"

"I'm afraid I can't get into the details now Beckett, but things have changed. You are to escort the Queen back to Gallia, and then link up with Auric's resistance cell. If the Bishop gets word that Charlotte has returned before he is stopped, he will have her killed."

He reached over and clasped Beckett's hand. "Make sure that she is protected."

Robert took Henrietta's scepter from Beckett and handed it to its rightful owner.

"Your Majesty." Robert began, "I ask that you accompany me to Romalia."

"Romalia?" Henrietta asked. "For what purpose?"

"I need your blood."

**Scene Break**

CIA Deputy Director Daniel Mitchell sat in a chair waiting. He fidgeted nervously in his seat. It was a bad habit he picked up when he was a child. Whenever he found himself on the wrong side of things, he would sit and wait outside the door of his father's study, until he was called to enter.

"Director."

Mitchell looked up at the secretary who had called him.

"Yes?"

"The President will see you now."

**Scene Break**

Daniel Mitchell entered the Oval Office and was quickly greeted by a throng of officials. There was the National Security Advisor, the Secretary of Defense, the Chair of the President's National Science Commission, and of course NASA Scientist Phillip De Lancie.

After greetings and small talk, the gathered officials got down to business.

"What have you gentlemen brought me today?" The President asked.

"History Mr. President." De Lancie answered.

He then turned to face Mitchell.

"Director?"

"You know all those stories about military equipment vanishing with no apparent cause? Well we just figured out where it's been going."

With that Mitchell dropped a rather thick file on the President's desk.

The top page had a star with a bright white ring around it.

Mitchell narrated while the President read the file.

"It's forty three light years away, and it's confirmed to have a planet that hosts an intelligent civilization."

The President's eyebrows went up.

"You're talking about real life extra-terrestrials here?"

"Yes Sir."

"My God."

"So far no one else outside a few in the scientific community knows about this, but that will not last long."

The President looked up at Phil De Lancie.

"So what's the game plan here? Can we actually go to this planet?"

"Well there is a standing portal that opens up every solar eclipse. The portal's origins are unknown, but its existence does indicate some sort of connection between our world and theirs. Right now we can only send the equivalent of an aircraft through the portal. If we are ever going to seriously consider exploring this world and the surrounding system, we're going to have to take the long way."

"You're talking about traveling through space, real _Star Trek _stuff here."

"Umm, well yes sir. This discovery proves once and for all that we are not alone in the Universe. It's time the human race makes the transition to becoming a serious space faring civilization."

"You have a time table on this?'

"Make no mistake sir; this will be a multi-generational effort. We will not accomplish this in our own lifetimes."

The President leaned back in his chair, and considered the scientist's words.

"Do you really believe that we can actually pull this off? I mean travel through space to another world forty three light years away?"

"Yes sir I do. However our current technology will not allow us to get there in any reasonable amount of time. We're going to have to move faster_, a lot faster_."

The President looked over at the CIA man next to De Lancie

"Mitchell, what do you think?"

"I concur with my NASA colleague sir. We need to pursue this."

The President stood up and shook their hands.

"Well then, _to boldly go _I suppose, Godspeed to you both."

**Scene Break**

The double moons shone unusually large and bright this evening on Halkeginia. A small blue haired Queen left for her journey to take back her kingdom, and another Queen left with her partner, the revolutionary for Romalia.

Meanwhile all over Halkeginia, commoner and noble alike went to bed, blissfully unaware that the best and brightest minds of another world were racing furiously to come to them. And what would they find when they came there? An entrenched magic using aristocracy that mercilessly oppressed the ordinary citizens or an enlightened civilization that extended rights to all. Only time would tell.

Time was certainly the issue for the people of this world, even if they were not aware of it. The clock was ticking, and the pages of the calendar were turning. Four hundred years and counting. Finally, after six thousand years of stagnation, the days of the Halkeginian nobility were numbered.


	12. 9 Cloak And Dagger

Author's Notes: Again, sorry for the delay in updating. It's been another one of those weeks.

On another note, I finally posted something on my profile page. Just information about the layout of my story and where I got the idea to write this from.

In any case, here's a fresh chapter!

Read and Review!

**Begin Story**

Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt sat in the darkness watching the safe house from a distance. For a thief, a certain propensity for distrusting others simply came with the territory. So when a strange man approached her in some backwater inn at some backwater town in Gallia with a job offer, she was naturally cautious.

The first thing she wanted to know was how he had found her. As a wanted woman, Fouquet had made it her business not to be found unless she wanted to be. The night this stranger approached her was not one of those times.

"How I found you is not important." The man had said to her after introducing himself as Jerome.

"What is important is that if you do not listen to what I have to offer you, then my mistress will not be pleased."

"Suppose I just kill you and walk away now?" Fouquet asked. "It's obvious that your mistress, whoever she is, sent you to find me, which would imply that she does not yet know where I am."

"I have already sent the raven back to my mistress with your location, as well as the location of your safe house. I have been watching you for some time Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt."

Fouquet suddenly became furious. The fact that a mere servant dared to speak her name so casually out in public warranted no less than a death sentence. She raised her wand, ready to grind this impudent commoner to dust.

He suddenly dropped a medium sized pouch of gold on the table.

Angry as she may have been, Fouquet was a woman of business, and nothing gets her attention quicker than the sound of gold coins.

"My mistress wants me to assure you that this gold is yours to keep free of any obligation. If you choose to accept her offer of employment, there is a great deal more where this came from."

Fouquet sat staring at the sparkling metal coins.

_Well, times are rather lean at the moment,_ she thought.

"She also assured me, that you would eagerly accept any opportunity to harm the nobility."

Fouquet narrowed her eyes at Jerome. "What's the catch?" She asked.

"None, my mistress merely has a need for someone with your skill set to dispose of some rubbish for her. Since a meeting on neutral ground would be out of the question, how about letting her give you the details at your safe house?"

Fouquet agreed to the terms. A meeting on her own turf would give her control of the situation, plus she would be able to control all possible routes of escape.

"Excellent," Jerome said cheerfully. "Tomorrow night at midnight then."

Jerome stood up to leave, and then suddenly turned back to face Fouquet.

"Do be on time Matilda. My mistress is a firm believer in punctuality."

Jerome then left Fouquet alone to silently contemplate the pouch of gold in front of her.

This brings her to the present, sitting in an open field staring at her own safe house, waiting for this Jerome and his mistress to approach.

She was planning on ambushing them.

Fouquet tightened her grip on her wand.

_Careful girl, patience is a virtue._

Unfortunately, someone else's patience had run out.

Fouquet suddenly found herself thrust aloft by a sudden updraft of air.

Then almost as suddenly as she had risen, the thief crashed back down on to the waiting soil.

Fouquet raised her wand and called her mighty Golem from the dirt.

_Snick!_

An invisible blade sliced her golem cleanly in two with a vertical cut. The two halves of the earthen monster fell sideways away from one another and crashed down into the dust from which it was created.

Fouquet, who had been riding on the beast's right shoulder, quickly jumped and maneuvered herself out of the way, lest she be crushed by tons of falling dirt and rock.

The thief stood, but before she could act, she was pushed and slammed into the ground. Fouquet tried to sit up but found that she could not. She was being held in place by invisible restraints. She was able to raise her head just enough to glimpse two figures walking towards her from across the field.

One was Jerome; the other was a feminine figure whose face was covered by an emerald hood.

The woman removed her covering.

"Duchess Valliere." Fouquet said calmly.

"I applaud your efforts Matilda." Karin replied. "But as per usual, you seem to have come up short."

Karin looked somewhat disdainfully at the feminine thief at her feet.

"I certainly hope that you are capable of putting on a better performance during your assignments."

"I don't know what you've heard about me Valliere" Fouquet said, intentionally leaving out Karin's title of Duchess, "But I do not serve the nobility."

"What a happy coincidence," said Karin who with a wave of her wand brought the still restrained Fouquet to standing position a mere inches from her face.

"Because neither do I." Karin finished, nose to nose with Fouquet.

"What do you want with me?"

"To do what you do best Matilda. I want you to hurt some nobles."

Fouquet arched her eyebrows, wondering just what it was that had stirred this noble woman's wrath so much.

"And after you hurt them I want you to kill them. The methods you employ are of no consequence to me, so be as creative as you wish, so long as they suffer."

Fouquet stood slack jawed for several moments. The Vallieres were among the most well known and influential noble families in all Halkeginia. The Duchess herself was also known to be a stern and rigid woman, who insisted on strict adherence to etiquette, but never in Fouquet's wildest dreams, (or in this case nightmares), did she believe any member of the Valliere family to be capable of murder.

Furthermore this was a role that the Duchess seemed disturbingly comfortable in.

"Duchess," Fouquet began, suddenly respectful. "Why is it that these said nobles are to suffer and then die at your command?"

"They tried to murder my daughter."

_The assassination attempt on the Queen, _Fouquet suddenly realized.

It all made sense now. Fouquet had certainly heard of the failed attempt to kill the King and Queen of Tristain. It would make sense that the Queen's mother would want revenge, but was the Duchess aware of her own history with the third daughter of the Valliere family?

"What about me?" asked Fouquet. "I too once tried to kill your daughter. Once, a few years ago I tried to crush her with my golem. It was only thanks to her familiar that she escaped unharmed. If I complete this task will all be forgiven, or will I too be targeted by your vengeance?"

Karin pointed her wand at Fouquet's safe house. The air above the home solidified into a solid block with the same approximate dimensions as the house.

Karin lowered her wand and the block came crashing down on the safe house, destroying it. Then a tornado emerged from the rubble, and soon there was nothing left to classify as recognizable debris.

When the tornado vanished, all that remained of Fouquet's safe house was a pile of saw dust slowly drifting away in the midnight breeze.

Fouquet stood paralyzed, eyes widened in abject panic. She stared at the Duchess, who calmly stared back at her.

The unspoken message was received loud and clear:

_If I wanted you dead, we would not be having this conversation._

Jerome approached Fouquet and handed her an envelope.

"These are your instructions. When the target is dealt with, pass along any information you gain from interrogation at the drop point."

Fouquet took the envelope, and suddenly realized that her binds of solid air had been removed. In all the eventfulness, she had forgotten they were even there.

"Consider the gold from earlier a down payment on your next job. Complete it and you will receive another payment of the same amount. Do not complete it-"

All stood in silence, there was no need to finish the sentence.

Suddenly three figures emerged from the forest.

Fouquet turned to meet them. Her shaking hand was outstretched and clenching her wand.

Jerome elaborated on the new arrivals.

"Given your history, my mistress has decided that it would be best for the mission if you did not work alone."

Fouquet and the three newcomers recognized one another immediately. All four mages exclaimed simultaneously.

"_You!"_

Kirche von Zerbst face palmed. "Don't tell me we have to work with this old lady."

"Work with Fouquet?" Said Guiche Gramont.

"At least try not to hit on her too." Montmorency warned.

"You sent children to help me on a search and destroy mission?"

"Who are you calling children granny?" Kriche asked.

Both women pointed wands at one another.

"Why don't you run along home before I spank you brat?" Fouquet taunted. "It's past your bedtime."

"Bring it spinster." Kirche said with a fireball glowing at the end of her wand. "Just tell me where to scatter your ashes after the funeral."

Suddenly a solid air wall separated the two combatants. The wall split in two laterally and pushed the ladies apart.

"There is no time for bickering!" Karin warned. "Those who serve me will adhere to the _Rule of Steel._ That is discipline and placing the mission above all else. Consequences for failing to adhere to this rule are severe."

Both women gulped and replied, "Yes ma'am."

"You people have work; I suggest you get to it."

With that, Karin the Heavy Wind vanished into the night.

Fouquet tore open the envelope and read the instructions.

"Oooooo I've wanted to go there for ages." Kirche dazzled.

"Foolish child!" Fouquet admonished. "Have you ever actually killed someone?"

Kirche and the others stared blankly.

"Yes, you may have slain beasts and golems in war, but have you ever watched the light leave someone's eyes knowing that you caused it?"

Again, all three mages continued to just stare at Fouquet.

"Well I have." Fouquet acknowledged. "And I can tell you all one thing right now."

Fouquet turned and started walking towards the forest.

"This will not be pleasant."

**Scene Break**

"Company halt!"

"Left face!"

The company of Romalian mage knights turned to face their latest target in their ever growing string of public safety raids in Gallia. An abandoned business in downtown Lutece was rumored to be a hotbed of activity subversive to the Church of Brimir.

The knights broke ranks and followed their commander into the building.

As soon as the last knight crossed the threshold inside, a massive explosion produced a fireball that entered the street, showering pedestrians with pieces of glass, brick and mortar.

Of the unfortunate knights who fell into this trap, there were no survivors.

**Scene Break**

"_Dammit!"_

Archbishop Viscido's fist slammed onto his desk, a veined throbbed on his forehead as his red face glared at his subordinates.

"Three times this week our troops have been ambushed by these resistance scum!"

The Bishop's eyes slowly scanned the room, looking from person to person, desperately searching for a place to release his omnipotent rage.

He settled on Julio Chesare.

"You!" Viscido pointed at Julio. "You're supposed to be providing security around here. Explain to me how these criminals are anticipating our troop movements!"

"Obviously, we have an internal leak providing these men with inside information." Julio replied calmly.

"Really? How enlightening! I don't believe I could possibly have come up with that myself Julio!" Viscido said sarcastically. "Tell me Myozunitonirun, how do you plan to address this internal security problem?"

"Might I suggest setting a trap for the traitor?"

"Care to elaborate?"

"Float a little false information and see if anyone bites."

"Very well Julio, I'll leave this matter to you, but I expect results! If these attacks do not end soon, it'll be your head rolling into a basket."

With a wave of his hand, Viscido dismissed his subordinates.

"Not you Julio. I need a moment."

Julio stopped at the door as the others filed out.

As soon as they were alone, Julio closed the door to the Bishop's office.

"Julio, you were once Vindalfr, the familiar who could command the beasts, correct?"

"Yes sir." Julio replied, "Until the tragic death of Pope Vittorio, my master."

"Yes." Viscido said while slowly turning a dagger digging into the top of his desk.

"It was a truly sad day for Romalia. I know that must have affected you deeply Julio."

Viscido turned to stare out the window, contemplating the world outside.

"Julio, forget what I said about the resistance. I have another task for you, one that you should be uniquely suited to."

"What is it eminence?"

"I need you to locate Charlotte's rhyme dragon."

"Rhyme dragon?"

"Don't play with me Chesare. Charlotte could keep her little secret from whomever she liked, but not the Church."

Viscido turned around from the window to face Julio.

"I believe Queen Charlotte is alive."

Julio stared back at the Bishop wearing a look of complete surprise.

"But your eminence, the criminal Robert de Sable kidnapped her and Queen Henrietta. They were both killed when their ship exploded over the sea."

"And her dragon disappeared shortly after that, and hasn't been seen since."

"So, that simply means that with her master dead, the dragon is free to go where it chooses."

"I want to see it for myself."

"Eminence?"

"If Charlotte is truly dead, then the familiar's runes will have disappeared right?"

"Yes your eminence, but I-"

"I'd also wager that even though you are no longer Vindalfr, many of those beast controlling skills are still in you. I am only asking you to use what you know and find this beast, so that I can see for myself whether or not Charlotte is truly dead."

Julio stood silent. He'd run out of arguments.

"Good, it appears that we understand each other. I'll expect an update on your progress as soon as I return from Lutece."

Julio's eyebrows went up.

"Lutece Your Eminence?"

"Yes Julio. The Pope is coming in for a visit, and I am to greet him there next Day of Void in exactly one week."

_Knock Knock_

The Bishop looked up at the sound of the knock at his door.

"Ah Alastair, so good to see you again."

Alastair Teague entered the Bishop's office and was quickly embraced by Viscido."

"Julio, I'd like to meet someone. This is Lord Alastair Teague of Tristain. His father and I were old acquaintances."

Julio shook the noble's hand, and turned to face the Bishop.

"Your Eminence, if I may?'

"Of course Julio, I'm sure you have much to do. I'll just be a minute catching up with Alastair here."

Julio nodded and exited the Bishop's office. He was puzzled by his strange assignment.

_What will he ultimately do with Charlotte's familiar?_

In the grand scheme of things, none of that really mattered.

Julio's pace quickened.

The Bishop was right, Julio had much to do.

**Scene Break**

_Slap!_

"YOU FOOL!"

Bishop Viscido raged as his open palm made contact with Alastair Teague's face.

"Your assassin failed!"

"It's not my fault!" Alastair complained. "Some strange warrior arrived and saved them."

"Ten thousand ecus!" The Bishop seethed through his clenched teeth.

"Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to authorize that much money out of Romalia without being detected?"

"What are you complaining about? You act as though the funds were your own."

"Those funds belong to the Church, and in case you haven't noticed, within the borders of Gallia, I AM THE CHURCH!"

The Bishop returned to his desk and fixed a cold stare at Teague.

"And now the Queen's mother is investigating and tracking down you and your fellow nobles one by one."

Alastair scoffed, "So what of it? Duchess Valliere is more concerned with her family's status. What is she going to do, speak ill of me at a cocktail party?"

Bishop Viscido gave Teague a look of pure incredulity.

"You foolish child, you take ignorance to a level of artistic expression don't you?"

Viscido rubbed his temples for a moment and continued.

"You poor, poor boy, you honestly have no idea what's coming for you do you?"

Alastair's puzzled expression conveyed that he clearly did not.

"Alastair, I'm sure like any young noble boy or girl you grew up thrilling to the exploits of Karin the Heavy Wind."

"Yes, my father told me stories of the famous Manticore Knight Captain. Her name alone could stop an entire army in its tracks and cause them to turn and run."

"Well those stories aren't just stories; they're true, and the Duchess Valliere? She and Karin the Heavy Wind are one in the same person."

Alastair turned pale. He slowly sat down in the chair facing the Bishop's desk.

"And now dear boy, you understand what it is that hunts you."

"But what about you?" Alastair asked. Since you arranged the funds won't the Duchess come for you as well?"

"I am not nearly so dimwitted. Not only did I anticipate the Duchess' involvement, but I was counting on it. In my quest to cover my tracks in moving the money from Romalia to Tristain, I made sure that any trail left over, would lead to none other than the Pope himself."

The Bishop folded his hands together and laid them on his desk, a serene smile crossing his lips.

"Oh my, to think that a Pope would conspire to kill a sitting monarch without as much as a declaration of war, such a dishonorable act will generate a scandal that not even the papacy could survive."

Alastair looked intently at the Bishop, his mind finally putting the pieces together.

"It was never about protecting the traditions of nobility. You are hoping to set yourself up as Pope!"

"Hoping? My dear boy I _will _be Pope. It's really only a matter of time. Once I am Pope then I will ensure that the kingdoms of Halkeginia fall into line. We shall displace the elves from the Holy Land and with them out of the way, the Church will spread the Founder's word to every continent in every corner of the world."

Viscido broke free of his daydream, and turned his attention back to Lord Teague.

"As for you, you'll be going to Romalia for protection, though I doubt even that will be able to stop the Duchess from exacting her vengeance upon you."

"And what will I be doing in Romalia?"

The Bishop again fixed a cold stare at Alastair.

"You are to deliver a message to the Pope."

Viscido handed Alastair a scroll with a wax seal bearing the Bishop's coat of arms."

"This message states that the King of Tristain has turned the commoners that have taken refuge in his borders into an army, and he intends to invade Gallia. So I the Archbishop Franco Viscido, his Holiness's administrator within Gallia, am now formally requesting aid to deal with the situation."

"That commoner from Tristain is really planning to invade Gallia?"

"I have no idea! But whether or not that is true is irrelevant. The Pope will declare Holy War on the Kingdom of Tristain. With that news and the evidence that the Pope planned his assassination, the commoner King will have no choice but to act, and with Tristain's focus fixed on Romalia, we will be free to march into Tristain virtually unopposed. That foolish commoner will have no kingdom to return to."

Bishop Viscido dismissed Alastair with a wave of his hand.

"Now go, I have other business to attend to."

**Scene Break**

They traveled in secret. Crossing from Albion to mainland Halkeginia disguised as refugees fleeing the turmoil caused by the commoner revolution. Once they landed in La Rochelle, Beckett and Tabitha separated from Henrietta and Robert. The thinking was that despite Romalia and Gallia being in the same general direction, they risked bringing too much attention to themselves if the four of them traveled together.

Robert and Henrietta kept off the main roads, traveling only by footpaths in the forest. True they ran the risk of being harassed by bandits or worse, but the risk was acceptable when compared to being discovered out in the open.

Finally when the clear blue sky gave way to the red and orange dusk, the pair found a small clearing in the woods and decided to stop there for the night.

That night, Henrietta sat hugging her knees and staring into the flames of their campfire, contemplating what Robert had said about the future of the Markey people. So many questions swirled in her head all at once.

How could a world of commoners possibly become so powerful that they could destroy the mages?

And why did Saito not tell them the truth about his people, and warn them of how dangerous they were?

In the midst of all this contemplating, Henrietta noticed Robert, lying across from her on the other side of the flames, reading his book.

The same book he always kept with him.

"Why do you carry that book with you wherever you go?

"I told you, it was a keepsake from my grandfather."

"Well what is it about? It is obviously a quite entertaining tale; otherwise you would not always be so engrossed by it."

Robert closed the book and looked up at Henrietta.

"This book, Your Majesty, is the reason why I began studying the history and culture of the mages in the first place."

"Well what is it?"

Robert chuckled slightly.

"Trust me Your Majesty, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Robert then put the book back in his rucksack, and looked back towards the Queen.

"What about you Your Majesty? What interests do you pursue?"

Henrietta cast her eyes downward.

"I-I really don't have any interests. When I was little I used to enjoy spending time with a close friend of mine. You saw her at the ball that night, Louise Valliere."

"The Void Mage who succeeded you as Queen."

"Yes. I really miss her."

_Her …..and Saito too._

Henrietta left her last thought unspoken.

"When I was a boy," Robert began, "I used to go camping with my father and grandfather in these woods. I hated it. My father used to always tell me that I spent too much time indoors reading and I should play outside more. Be a normal kid he said. "

Robert sat smiling, the flames playing across his face in tapestry of red, orange and yellow.

"Funny thing is, even though I was always miserable on those camping trips, they now make up some of the happiest memories of my life. It wasn't until after my grandfather passed, that I realized just how close he and I were. I miss that old man every day."

Robert then looked up at the moons, just as he once did as a child one thousand years from now. His was head shaking slightly as he contemplated the blue and pink orbs above them.

"I must say though, the moons look a lot different in this time period."

"Different?"

"Yes, there are several million people living on each of those moons where I'm from."

Henrietta's mouth opened wide.

_People live on the moons?_

"Robert?"

"Hmm?"

"The people…..from Saito's world, why are they so violent?"

Robert sighed as he thought how best to answer the Queen's question.

"Violence is simply in their nature. They have a history of warfare stretching back nearly their entire existence. However, please do not misunderstand me. Violence is only one side of them; they are capable of great compassion as well as acts of heroism. Saito has shown you that."

"But how is it that our worlds are so different? I mean Saito at first seems to be no different than any other commoner. Why is it that they are so powerful, and yet they cannot wield magic?"

"Well, to be honest Your Majesty, their success has to do with the absence of magic."

"What? Stop joking with me!" Queen Henrietta said. "You're going to tell me that they became so powerful _because _they have no magic?"

"Precisely. They never had magic to solve their problems or to make their lives better. The people from Saito's world could only rely on what they could create with their own two hands. It was that creativity which gave rise to their technology."

Robert sat up and looked directly into the Queen's eyes.

"But for the mages, magic has always been there to solve every crisis, remove every obstacle, and defeat every foe. Your people have never had any incentive to question the order of the universe or contemplate your own place in it. You never questioned what you were taught, or sought to expand your horizons. You merely accepted the truths that your ancestors gave you, never once trying to see for yourselves whether those truths were real or not."

"In short Your Majesty, your people's greatest asset, was also their greatest curse."

Henrietta hugged her knees tighter, chewing on Robert's words. Finally, she asked,

"Why question what God has provided? If God's grace is to be questioned, then who is to say that grace will be there tomorrow?"

"Again Your Majesty, it goes to their nature. The people of Earth are naturally curious, and constantly seek to expand their knowledge. Each incremental improvement in their technology, nearly always went hand in hand with a quest for greater knowledge."

"A greater knowledge?"

"Yes, you see, for Saito's people it's not enough to merely accept that the sun will rise tomorrow. They want to know _why _the sun will rise, and how it continues to rise each day. They are curious about the universe, and how it all works. That curiosity is part of what it means to be human."

"Is the capacity to destroy also part of what it means to be human?' Henrietta asked derisively.

Robert decided to answer Henrietta's sarcastic question seriously.

"Well, frankly yes. Another difference between your worlds, is that here on Halkeginia, you fight wars for pride and honor. Earthlings had given up such romantic notions of war long ago. For them, warfare is a matter of survival, often from each other. They believe that one should go to war only if they are willing to use overwhelming force to completely destroy the enemy. Warfare is pointless otherwise."

"In other words Your Majesty, in war you must compete. If you do not compete, you die. It's that simple."

Henrietta continued staring into the flames, her chin now resting on her knees, as she tried to digest what Robert had told her.

Saito's people were commoners, and yet they had become powerful enough to destroy the mages. They thirst for knowledge, and yet they use that knowledge to build deadly weapons. They are compassionate and yet they destroy their enemies without mercy.

These thoughts occupied Henrietta's mind long after the flames died out.

Later that night under the star lit sky, Henrietta did what no one of her race had ever done before. She looked at the stars and pondered her place in the universe.

She sighed heavily at the thought.

_Saito, why didn't you tell us?_

**Scene Break**

Alone in her room, Gallia's Queen Mother knelt by her bedside praying. She prayed for her daughter Josette, as well as her daughter's consort Julio. Mostly though, she prayed for the people of Gallia. She prayed that God would deliver them from this madman who had come from Romalia.

Suddenly, a light tapping at her door interrupted her prayers. She stood up and slowly made her way to the door.

However before she could answer, a small envelope slid its way under the door, and into her room. She heard footsteps in the hall fading into the distance.

Cautiously, the Queen Mother picked up the envelope and opened it.

It was a letter with no signature; its author had wanted to remain anonymous.

As she began to read the missive, her cheeks lost their color, and her eyes grew wide.

Slowly, the Queen Mother lowered herself onto her bed. The letter slipped from her hand and drifted lazily to the floor.

_Dearest Queen Mother,_

The letter began.

_I am aware that you have been giving shelter to the Rhyme Dragon, and keeping her safe. How I know this is not important, but I am writing to tell you that she is now in danger. The Bishop wants her found, so that he can examine her familiar's runes. Please get her and yourself out of Gallia as quickly as you can. Burn this letter after reading._

After several moments, the Queen Mother picked up the letter, and read it one more time to be sure of its contents. She then crumpled it up and held it over a candle.

The dancing flames reflected brightly in her eyes as they consumed the strange message.

**Scene Break**

Taking care not to be noticed a hooded figure entered the alley way behind the _Smoking Dragon Inn._

Quickly, he made his way down the alley to the waste barrel behind the inn. Taking a small piece of parchment he looked over his hastily scrawled message.

_The Bishop will be in Lutece the next Day of Void, to attend a reception for the Pope._

He folded the message along with a few other papers, wrapped them with butcher's paper, and secured them with twine.

Finally, he placed the package in the trash barrel.

After making his way back to the street, the hooded figure looked around to ensure that he was not being followed.

He then walked to the front of the _Smoking Dragon Inn_, and approached the row of ladles hung near the entrance. He counted three from the left, lifted it, turned it backwards, and replaced the ladle on the rack.

He then checked his surroundings one last time just to make sure he was indeed alone. Satisfied, he stepped off the curb and into the street.

Julio Chesare then blended with the evening crowd, and disappeared into the night.


	13. 10 Traitors and Patriots

Author's Notes: I'm doing my best to keep the updates coming. I got promoted at work, so now I work more hours. I am now a youth coordinator for an outreach program, teaching life skills to teens. I put in 27 hours over that last two days alone. Even so, I assure you there is not a chance of me abandoning this story. I am seeing this through to the end. I'm having way too much fun!

Enjoy the chapter and please review!

**Begin Story**

Lord Bartholomew Kearns sat writing in his study at Kearns Manor. He'd been working on this document for some time now, but recent events had given the task some new urgency. He was already aware of the disappearance of Royal Bank of Tristain President Winston Gillett, and that Alastair Teague had fled to Gallia. He'd also heard the rumors that none other than the Queen's Mother, the Duchess Valliere herself had launched the investigation into who was behind the assassination attempt on the Tristain monarchy.

In his heart Kearns knew that he was not long for this world, but it was a fact that he had made peace with. Bartholomew had lived a long and full life, and had many children and grandchildren.

In fact his only regret was that he was unable to dissuade Alastair from getting involved in the assassination plot. He viewed this failure as a failure to keep the promise he made to Alastair's father in Saxe Gotha.

It was a promise he made as Lord Teague died in his arms.

Kearns had promised his friend that he would watch over Alastair as if he were his own son.

When he finished his writing, Kearns paused to look over his work.

_This is the Last Will and Testament of Lord Bartholomew Kearns_, the document began.

After looking over his will, Kearns rang a bell he kept on his desk.

Within moments a servant entered the room.

"I need a witness Henri." Kearns said, as his servant approached.

With Henri standing next to him, Kearns signed his will and had the servant do the same under the space marked _witness._

He placed his will along with some other important documents in a strong box that also held jewelry, and other important heirlooms belonging to the Kearns family.

He turned to face his servant.

"Henri" Kearns began. "I want to thank you for all of your years of service to this family. You have been much more than a servant; you have been a friend to me and my children, as well as a trusted confidant."

"Praise is unnecessary M' Lord" said Henri. "I have only acted as a gentleman should in the service of his master."

"Yes of course," Kearns said while patting the hand of his servant.

"And now I have one more task for you. This will be my last order to you Henri."

Bartholomew took the strong box off the desk and handed it to Henri.

"Please make sure this box reaches my son in Germania. It contains not only my will, but the deed to this manor, and a letter to him expressing my desire that he not seek revenge for his father's fate. It was my own actions that brought this upon me, and so it is my consequence to bear."

Henri looked at his master as he took the box. He could not help but feel sorrow at the end of his tenure at Kearns Manor. He had grown to love this family over the years he spent here. He'd watched Kearns and his wife grow old together, and he'd watched the children grow up, marry, and start their own families.

Henri could feel the hot tears roll down his cheeks as he looked at his master for what would be the final time.

"Dry your eyes Henri," said Kearns in a soft voice. "A true gentleman never shows his tears to another."

"Yes M' Lord," replied Henri as he rubbed his eyes with his sleeve.

"The carriage is waiting outside. When you see my son, tell him I'm sorry."

With that Henri walked to the door. He paused to take one last look at his master, and stepped out of the room. In moments he was on his way to Germania.

After the carriage's departure, Bartholomew sat in his chair in front of the fire. He had already decided that he would not flee, nor would he hide. Bartholomew would greet his fate, and accept it like a noble.

Suddenly a giant hand broke through the window and pulled Kearns outside into the cold midnight air.

He was tossed up and spun end over end until the massive hand caught him by the ankle and held him upside down.

Dangling by one leg, Kearns found himself staring at the Golem of one Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt.

"Lord Bartholomew Kearns I presume," said Fouquet from atop her golem.

"And who might you be?" asked Kearns from his upside down perspective.

"I am Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt."

At that Kearns began to laugh somewhat hysterically.

"The thief? The Duchess Valliere sent a thief to exact her vengeance?"

Kearns was laughing so hard that for a brief moment he actually forgot about the seriousness of his situation.

"What's so funny old man?"

"I play a role in the attempt to assassinate the Queen of Tristain, and the Queen's Mother, the illustrious Karin the Heavy Wind, has decided that I'm not even worth the effort to come and kill me herself."

He then spied Kirche, Guiche, and Montmorency on the ground below him. All three had wands pointing at him.

Kearns popeyed.

"And she sent kids? Hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Oh my! I'm really sorry all of you, but I can't help it. This is just too absurd!"

"Excuse me, but we are nineteen years old! We are not children!" Kirche replied indignantly.

"Oh I know who you all are! You're famous for being friends of that commoner who occupies the throne."

Suddenly serious, Kearns looked at Fouquet.

"Well I suppose you're here to kill me, so let's get on with it!"

"Not so fast" said Fouquet. "We need some information on where to find your fellow conspirators."

"Oh? And I suppose you're to torture me if I decide not to talk?"

On the ground Montmorency tightened her grip on her wand and said "If it comes to that, then yes."

"I assure you young lady that won't be necessary, however if you don't mind I would prefer to die on my feet like a noble rather than some animal caught in a trap."

Fouquet rolled her eyes. "Fine" she said and the golem's hand opened, sending Bartholomew straight to the ground, landing with a thud.

Making no attempt to flee, Kearns simply stood up and brushed himself off.

"Thank you" he said intelligibly.

"The man you are looking for is Alastair Teague. You will find him in Gallia."

"Is that all?" asked Fouquet.

"Yes" Kearns said sadly. Alastair was the driving force behind this plot. I tried to talk him out of it, but I could not.

Fouquet raised her golem's foot to end poor Bartholomew's life.

"WAIT!"

It was Kirche von Zerbst who stood in front of Kearns; arms outstretched waiving off the golem.

"This man should stand trial!"

"You heard the Duchess" seethed Fouquet. "He participated in the attempted assassination of the Queen. He is to be killed!"

Kearns gently pushed the young lady aside.

"Thank you sweet child. Your concern has deeply touched this old man, but she is right, I deserve death. In truth, I welcome it."

Kirche stared at the old noble.

"I promised Alastair's father that I would take care of his son after his death at Saxe Gotha. I tried to discourage him from taking part in this despicable act, and I failed. In the end I even helped him carry out the deed by receiving the funds to pay off the assassin. I did so out of loyalty to his father."

"After his father gave his life during that ridiculous war in Albion, Alastair's heart became twisted with hatred. Lacking an outlet, his anger consumed him more and more, until the day that commoner took the throne. At last his pent up resentment towards the Crown had found a target."

Bartholomew fell to his knees and looked up at Fouquet.

"Now please! You must kill me!"

"No!"

""Kirche, get out of the way!" Montmorency yelled!"

"I will not kill an otherwise helpless old man!" screamed Kirche.

She then looked to Montmorency and Guiche.

"We're doing this for Saito right? Do you any of you honestly believe that this is what Saito would wish us to do?"

"You're right Kirche." Guiche said. "Our Vice Commander would never allow the Order of Undine Knights to execute an old man."

With that Guiche and Montmorency joined Kirche in blocking Fouquet.

Kirche looked back up at the golem. "It's over Fouquet; let's just turn him over to the Mage Knights. Let Saito and Louise decide what to do with him."

Fouquet sighed resignedly "Foolish children."

The golem placed its foot back down on the ground.

Kearns shook his head and looked at the three mages who spared his life.

"I'm sorry" he said plainly.

Then with a speed that should be impossible for a man his age, Bartholomew attacked Kirche and, taking her by surprise, he was able to pry her wand out of her hand and point it at her head while holding her hostage.

"I TOLD YOU TO KILL ME!" He raged.

Kirche stood stunned as Kearns used her as a human shield.

Guiche and Montmorency slowly advanced on them.

"Stop! Don't come any closer or she's dead!"

"What are you doing?" Kirche asked Bartholomew. "Surely there is another way for this to end."

"THERE IS NO OTHER WAY!"

"Don't you idiots understand?" Kearns pleaded with them as he slowly backed himself and Kirche away. "I HAVE TO DIE!"

Then without warning he then inclined his head to whisper in Kirche's ear.

"_The funds for the assassination originated in Romalia. The authorization for the transfer bore the seal of the Pope himself. However that seal is false. It was Gallia's Bishop Viscido who helped Alastair pay the elf to kill your friends. The Bishop will attempt to frame the Pope so that he may take his office for himself. THIS MUST NOT HAPPEN! If Viscido is allowed to become Pope, then all of Halkeginia will fall into darkness!"_

Then Kearns pushed Kirche away and pointed her wand at his own head.

"Get yourselves to Gallia, and stop the Bishop before more people die!

Then the noble put the tip of Kirche's wand in his mouth, and muttered an incantation.

Kirche screamed. "_NO_!"

The four mages watched as Kearns' head exploded in a fire ball. The top of his neck was a smoking pile of embers.

His headless corpse collapsed to the ground, and Kirche fell to her knees and cried.

Montmorency held her shoulders and comforted her while Guiche knelt over the body and said a blessing.

Fouquet waved her wand and her golem returned to the dirt.

She walked up to the still crying Kirche.

"Get used to it" Fouquet said to the young mages. "We're going to see a lot more death before this mission is over."

The thief motioned the three to get moving.

"Come on. Let's go to the drop, make our report to the Duchess and get paid."

Kirche turned to Fouquet. "Is money all that matters to you?"

Fouquet walked over to Kirche and placed her face inches from her own.

"You heard him. If we do not get to Gallia soon the Bishop will claim the papacy. Believe it or not little girl I do care about what happens to Halkeginia."

"Now get moving. We've got a kingdom to liberate."

**Scene Break**

Queen Josette of Gallia sat in her office and stared at the latest death list on her desk. Some time ago the Bishop's office decided to forgo issuing individual death warrants and decided that they could speed things up by sending her entire lists to sign. Josette stared blankly at the latest list of victims of the Bishop's public safety sweeps. She put the list down without her signature. Josette had done this before. She would decide not to sign a list just to see what would happen. But then she would remember what the Bishop said about her mother, and about Julio, and her fear would always come back to her. Her fear always seemed to have a way of making sure that those lists would eventually bear her signature.

She wondered how long she might be able to hold out this time.

Just then she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." She said somewhat fearfully. After all, of late a knock at her door seldom brought any good news.

The sight that greeted her brought the first smile to grace the Queen's face in a long time.

"Mother!"

Beaming like a little girl, the Queen of Gallia ran toward her mother and embraced her tightly.

"Good morning sweetie. How are you today?"

"Fine now that you're here." She said looking up at her mother, chin resting on her chest.

"May I speak with you a moment daughter?"

"Of course Mother!" Josette said cheerfully "You are always welcome in here."

Mother and daughter sat on one the couches that graced the Queen's office.

The Queen Mother looked her daughter in the eye.

"I am leaving Gallia."

"What?" whispered Josette. How do you intend to leave? The Bishop will not allow it. He holds me hostage by threatening you!"

"There's more. I want you to come with me."

"I-I cannot." Josette looked away from her mother and cast her eyes toward the door nervously. The Bishop had eyes and ears posted everywhere.

"Please Josette! I've already lost Charlotte, I cannot lose you too!"

The Queen Mother was crying. She slowly caressed her daughter's cheek. She felt as though she would say or do anything, to bring Josette with her.

"You don't understand Mother. My presence is the only thing stopping him from mounting a complete takeover of the kingdom. He needs me to legitimize his rule. If I left he would stop at nothing to find me and who knows how many more lives will be lost in the process."

Josette grasped her mother's hands.

The Queen Mother began to plead with her daughter.

"Please Josette. Come with me. We can go tonight, and leave all this madness behind us."

"No! I will not abandon my people to this madman. I will not live comfortably in exile while he—"

"Your sister is alive!"

Josette stopped cold. Did she really just hear what she thought she heard?

"Charlotte" said her mother. "She is still alive."

"How- How do you know this?"

"Her familiar Sylpheed."

"Charlotte's dragon?"

"She is a special kind of dragon that can also speak and take on a human appearance when necessary. She's been staying at a cottage that I provided a short distance outside the palace walls. Every night she goes out searching for Charlotte, and during the day she stays out of sight by hiding in the cottage."

"The dragon told you that Charlotte lives?"

"She didn't have to. She still bears the runes of the familiar's contract. If Charlotte was dead, those runes would have vanished."

Josette let go of her mother's hands and stood up. Her sister was alive! For the first time since the Bishop strolled into her office and took her kingdom away, Josette felt something akin to hope. Hope not for herself, but for Charlotte and her mother.

She turned to face her mother.

"Go then mother. Take the dragon and leave Gallia while you still can."

"No" The Queen Mother tearfully protested. "We're leaving together. You have to come with me!"

"I'm sorry Mother, but I cannot. Tell Charlotte that I am happy for her. Tell her to stay out of Gallia, and live a happy, anonymous life." Tears flowed down Josette's cheeks as she said this.

Queen Josette rang a bell on her desk.

At the sound of her bell, four guards appeared.

"My mother is not feeling well today. She is speaking of things that do not make sense. Please escort her to her chamber, and ensure that she gets some rest.

"Josette. What are you doing?"

She looked at her daughter with a disbelieving expression.

"I'm sorry mother, but it's for your own good."

"No…Take your hands off of me!" She screamed as the guards started to pull her out of the room.

"Josette!"

As soon as her mother was gone, Queen Josette collapsed to the stone floor. Overwhelmed by her sobs, she buried her face in those stones.

As her mother's screams continued to echo down the hall, Josette lifted her chin from the floor and turned one tear filled eye toward the now empty door way.

"Good Bye Mother" She whispered.

_I will always love you._

**Scene Break**

That evening, Julio Chesare walked into the bed chamber he shared with the Queen of Gallia. He found his beloved sitting alone at a table, a mostly empty bottle of wine in front of her.

Her face was buried in her arms.

Josette looked up at the sound of Julio entering the room. One look and Julio could tell that she had been crying.

Without a word, he closed the distance between them and held Josette in his arms.

Their lips melted together, and Josette felt all of her despair wash away.

As their lips parted with a "chirp" Josette smiled broadly.

"Bad day?" Julio asked lightheartedly.

Josette let go of her lover, and slowly turned away.

"Julio, do you ever….wish that you could leave everything behind?"

Julio stepped forward and slowly caressed her shoulders from behind.

"Not everything" he said, right before bending down to kiss Josette's earlobe.

Moving to kiss her neck, Julio's hands slowly moved to the front of Josette's robe. Undoing the garment, he slipped it off her shoulders, revealing the pink camisole she wore underneath.

Josette made no effort to resist.

She turned around to face Julio, and placed her arms around his neck.

"Mother is leaving Gallia. She wants me to go with her."

Josette was taking a risk by telling him this. She was fully aware that Julio worked directly for Bishop Viscido, and while the possibility of his outright betrayal never entered her mind, she knew that if the Bishop sensed that Julio might know anything of the whereabouts of her mother after she went missing, Julio could be tortured and then killed for that information.

Josette let go of Julio and started pacing the room.

"She asked me to go with her. I refused."

"I think you should reconsider."

"What?" Josette said in disbelief. "How could you say that?"

She walked briskly to Julio and faced him.

"Do you honestly believe that I could just leave this kingdom to the whims of that man? Do you believe that I could just up and leave the man I love to him?"

"Josette, our relationship has nothing to do with this."

"It has everything to do with it!"

Josette clenched her fists and stared at the floor.

"I love Gallia, and even more so…I love you. I-I can't live without you Julio. A life without you is empty and joyless."

She reached up to touch Julio's cheek.

"Without you, I have no reason stay alive."

With that Josette unsnapped the clasp that held on Julio's mantle. Then she removed his sword.

Julio lifted Josette's chin and brought her face close to his.

"Tell me my Queen. What can this humble subject do to make your Highness feel better?"

Josette pulled him over to the bed and pushed him down upon it.

Straddling him, she captured his lips with her own.

After separating she whispered in his ear.

"_Make love to me. Now_."

Julio smiled.

"As you wish my Queen."

**Scene Break**

"Sire."

"Sire did you hear me?"

Saito looked up from his desk in the battlefield commander's tent at the refugee encampment in Tristain. Alexander and Agnes had spent the last several weeks training all who were willing in basic military drills and combat. In a few more weeks they might be able to start planning the invasion of Gallia.

"Sorry, Cardinal Mazarin could you start again?"

"I have brought word from the other Kingdoms of Halkeginia. Germania and Albion are reporting that their economies are beginning to collapse from the political instability caused by the rebellion. Furthermore they face a possible famine this winter due to the lack of farming labor available to the local feudal lords. The commoners have staged several successful raids against the royal food stores of their respective kingdoms and the earth mages have been able to replace only a tiny fraction of crops lost due to destruction, theft, and lack of labor for the harvest. The local Bishops ordered to use these draconian terror measures to bring the population under control are not working. Despite killing thousands of peasants in these….Uh what did you call them Your Majesty?"

"Guillotines"

"Right, despite killing thousands of rebels in these guillotines the commoners are still rebelling and are showing no signs of giving in. Germania and Albion both dispatched representatives, without the consent of the Church, to speak with Her Royal Highness in Tristania. "

Cardinal Mazarin leaned in close to the King.

"Sire, the rebellion is having a seriously detrimental effect on the kingdoms. It has reached the point where the impasse has begun to threaten the very survival of the political system and is beginning to raise the possibility of a complete collapse of the government in both kingdoms."

"What about Gallia?" Saito asked.

"We've heard nothing from Gallia. All reports of the political situation there have come from eyewitness accounts from those who have fled the kingdom. All indications seem to point that Bishop Viscido remains firmly in control. Furthermore the pace of executions in that kingdom has increased."

"Increased?"

"Yes Sire, while the total deaths from these executions stand at several thousand in other kingdoms, reports from Gallia indicate the death toll to be at 10,000 plus."

Saito silently clenched his fist at that figure.

Cardinal Mazarin continued:

"Don't you understand Sire? The Emperor of Germaina, and the Governing Council of Albion have grown weary of the violence and bloodshed. They are seeking a way out, a way to end this rebellion. The representatives that spoke with Queen Louise have asked that you lead negotiations to end the violence. They believe that your status as a former commoner will give your opinion added weight with the rebels."

Behind the Cardinal, Alexander Dufresne stood shaking his head.

"What is it Alex?" asked the King.

"The commoners want rights and freedoms. A guarantee that they will have a greater say in their own lives is the only way that the rebels will even begin to consider laying down their arms. That means that the nobles will have to be convinced to give up their own powers they hold over them. I don't see them agreeing to that so easily."

"They can't fight progress forever Alex. On my world it took a long time for the ordinary people to win their freedoms, but they kept fighting over the centuries until they won."

Saito leaned back in his chair, wracking his brain to try to come up with a solution to end the rebellion. Once again he thought back to his history courses, and again he cursed himself for not paying more attention. He remembered that the Japanese constitution contained language from the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The U.S. military helped write it while occupying Japan following the Second World War.

Suddenly Saito snapped his fingers.

"I got it!"

"Got what Sire?" the Cardinal asked.

Saito smiled at his own brilliance.

Though many recognized the U.S. Declaration of Independence as the pioneering document for _modern_ democracy, there was another that came before even that.

_During the eleventh or twelfth centuries, or something like that? _Saito wondered.

Saito looked up at the Cardinal and Alexander.

"I know how to end the war."

Cardinal Mazarin and Alexander continued to stare at Saito, waiting for him to expound on his idea.

"If the royal families agree to give the commoners more freedoms, then the nobles will have no choice but to go along right?"

"Well….yes Sire, however the nobles can also rebel themselves and attempt to oust the royal families similar to the one that saw Reconquista take power in Albion."

"Yes, but right now they are tired of war, and are probably not in any real shape to do anything."

"So how will you get the royals to agree to give the commoners their freedom, and on top of that how will you convince the commoners that they will not be betrayed by the nobles once the fighting stops." asked Alexander.

"Simple, once a king or a noble agrees to put their name on something they have to abide by it, for them it is a matter of honor that they keep their word."

"So you are going to have the royal families sign a promise to stop picking on the commoners?"

"That's exactly what we're going to do Alex."

Saito looked up at Cardinal Mazarin and Alexander with satisfaction.

"What Halkeginia needs is a _Magna Carta_."

Alexander looked at Saito with an expression that bordered on pride that a father might have for a son who just accomplished something magnificent.

He smiled approvingly at Saito.

"Now Your Majesty, you're beginning to think like a leader."

**Scene Break**

"You wanted to see me Eminence?"

"Yes Julio, please come in."

Julio entered Bishop Viscido's office and closed the door.

"Any progress locating Charlotte's familiar?"

"Uh….well to be honest, Your Eminence I have not yet had the opportunity to begin the search."

"Ha!" The Bishop smiled broadly and slapped his knee.

It was a reaction that caught Julio off guard.

"Eminence?"

"That's what I like about you Julio! You see anyone else would've tried to come up with some lie, or work of fiction to make me believe that everything is going well, but not you. Honest to a fault, I admire that in a subordinate."

Julio simply stared back at Viscido with a look of clueless astonishment.

"That's why I am putting you in charge of all my security Julio. The guards will report directly to you. I am giving you the authority to fix any security flaws in any way you see fit."

Uhh…..Thank you your Eminence. I'm honored."

"Nonsense dear boy, you've earned it!" Viscido said in an uncharacteristically jovial manner.

"And furthermore, I have an assignment for you."

Julio drew himself to his full height.

"What is it Eminence?"

"Go to Lutece and oversee the dismantling of the security preparations for the Pope's visit. They will no longer be necessary."

Julio arched an eyebrow.

"The Pope is no longer coming?"

"His Holiness has decided to cancel his visit to Lutece due to the ongoing attacks by the resistance cowards that have taken residence there. It's probably for the best anyway; the Pope has larger issues to deal with."

"Oh?"

"Oh my, you must not have heard Julio. His Holiness has decided to declare holy war on the Kingdom of Tristain."

Julio's expression betrayed his shock.

"Holy War? Against Tristain?"

"Yes, that Commoner King and his Void Mage Queen did sign a treaty with the elves after all."

Viscido began to laugh suddenly.

"And what did they get out of it? One of the elves tried to kill them."

The Bishop began laughing much harder; he raised his hand and slapped the top of his desk.

"Talk about irony."

The Bishop began to dab his eyes with a handkerchief. Apparently he was laughing so hard he cried.

Julio continued to stand and be silent.

"There is one other thing that I would like for you to accomplish while you are in Lutece. Have you heard the name Auric Grindelwald?"

"No, should I have?"

"He is reputed to be the leader of the resistance cell in Lutece that is responsible for these attacks. I want you to gather some information, something we can use to bring this coward to justice."

"Absolutely Your Eminence."

"I would also like you to see if you can identify who has been passing sensitive information to the resistance. I want to know who it is, and how he is getting this information to them without being detected."

"I shall give it my full attention."

"That's what I like to hear Julio. I have faith that you will deliver this traitor right into our hands."

"Will there be anything more Your Eminence?"

The Bishop smiled broadly and pointed at Julio.

"Ahh eager to begin eh? I knew you were the right man for this job. Wait a moment I need to make this official. Guards!"

Just then two Romalian Mage Knights entered the office.

I want to make sure everyone in the Knight Corp understands that I making Julio Chesare here the commanding officer of the Mage Knights. You are to report directly to him. Understand?"

Both knights answered in unison.

"Yes Your Eminence!"

"Thank You. Julio, I wish you the best!"

Julio nodded and left the Bishop's office.

_What a peculiar exchange_, he thought as he left to prepare for his trip to Lutece.

Meanwhile, once Julio had left, Viscido turned to face the Mage Knights still in his office.

Gone was the smiling jovial man who just promoted Julio. In his place was a cold, calculating strategist, looking every bit like a man in charge.

"Remember" he said to the two Knights. "Just as we discussed, he is not to know you are there."

He glanced toward the door.

"And he is not to leave your sight."

**Scene Break**

Lutece's evening crowd seemed lighter than usual this evening, but no matter, less people made it easier for Julio to make sure that no one was following him.

Once again he slowly made his way down the dark alley to the waste barrel located behind the _Smoking Dragon Inn._

He placed his message to the resistance in the trash barrel:

_The Pope has cancelled his visit to Lutece. The Bishop will not be leaving the Palace._

Satisfied, Julio quickly exited the alley way and went to the ladle rack to signal the resistance's runner that a message had been left for them.

He turned the ladle and was greeted by the sound of swords being drawn.

Julio turned to see ten mage knights surrounding him and pointing their swords and muskets at his chest.

He narrowed his eyes at the knights and his familiar's runes flared to life across his forehead.

Nothing happened.

"Sorry to disappoint you Myozunitonirun, but there are no magical artifacts for you to control here." The Mage Knight Captain said as he placed his blade directly under Julio's chin, the point pressing against his throat.

"Just cold steel."

The Captain smiled triumphantly.

"Julio Chesare, in the name of the Founder Brimir, and his Holiness the Pope, I am placing you under arrest for treason."

**Scene Break**

Standing guard near an open footpath that led into the forest just outside of Lutece, two bored Romalian Mage Knights wiled away the hours until the end of their midnight shift.

Sensing someone approaching, they drew their swords and faced the forest.

Bathed in the light of the moons, single man emerged from the dark forest; he was walking quickly over to them. In fact he might actually have been running.

"Hello there!" The man said. "I was wondering if you might be able to help me."

"Who are you?" One of the knights asked grumpily.

"My name is Morn. I was traveling with my wife when we were set upon by bandits. I escaped, but my wife is still back there. I need your help!"

The knights looked at one another, and turned to face the strange man before them.

"You don't look as though you were chased by robbers."

"Excuse me?"

"You have no injuries; your clothes are not even torn."

"Well then how is one who has encountered robbers supposed to look?" Asked the man who introduced himself as Morn.

_BAM!_

"Like that!" One of the guards replied after striking the helpless man with his fist.

"Once that eye of yours swells up you'll look the part!"

Both guards began to roar with laughter.

The guards bent over to pick the stranger up.

"And now my little friend, were gonna make sure the rest of you looks the part too."

The knight turned towards his partner.

"Hey, where do you think we should sta-"

The knight's sentence was cut short by an ice arrow that pierced his throat.

He fell gurgling on his own blood.

The other knight grabbed Morn and used him as a shield.

"Who goes there?" He shouted to an empty tree line.

"Come out now! Or your friend here is gonna die a slow and painful dea-"

Morn turned his head to see an icicle sticking out of the knight's head, occupying a space once reserved for his eye.

The knight's grip loosened and his body fell to the ground.

Tabitha emerged from the forest, and calmly walked over to Beckett.

"I had it under control. I was luring them into the forest."

"Weren't doing very well." Tabitha replied.

The two travelers stopped and looked out into the distance.

The city lights of Lutece gave the night sky an ominous glow.

Tabitha closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

_Home_


	14. 11 Bishop Takes Queen

Author's Notes: Some of you have been asking if I intend to address the destruction of the mages alluded to by Robert. Oh yeah! I will be going into it. In fact I promise you, the readers, nothing less than a front row seat to the events leading up to the death of the mages. I have it all planned out.

I will be wrapping up this story arc in a few chapters and beginning the next one shortly after, which will be the second book in my planned trilogy. That is when I will go into what happened to the mages. I've integrated that story into the overall plot.

If I may make a suggestion for a musical selection, the theme for the confrontation scene between Queen Josette and Bishop Viscido is track 12 of the Battlestar Galactica season 4 OST. It is titled "Laura's Baptism." I actually came up with the idea for that scene while listening to that.

Alright, that's enough from me. Enjoy the chapter, and as always, don't forget to leave a review.

**Begin Story**

Auric Grindelwald pored over the documents obtained by his runner Galen Solet. The package contained plans for the security detail that would be guarding the Pope and Bishop Viscido during the Pope's goodwill visit to Lutece. Auric could not help but shake his head at the thought. After months and months of sham executions, and the outright murder of thousands of innocent people, how could the Pope possibly expect there to be any goodwill left? Some were even calling for the removal of the Pope's own head in retaliation for this reign of terror orchestrated by the Church.

Auric and the other members of the resistance movement had spent several days planning an assault of the Royal Palace of Lutece. Though the official palatial estate was located in Versailles, there was an additional residence located in Lutece for visiting Royals and their guests. It was there that the coronation of Queen Charlotte had taken place.

However, something about this whole thing did not sit well with Auric. As they sometimes said on another world, "something smells fishy." Surely the Pope must know that he was not just unpopular by now, but downright hated, almost as hated as Viscido himself who was sent by the Pope to administer the Church Gallia. Also, Auric and his crew had been very successful in creating chaos and confusion among the Romalian Knights who terrorized Gallian citizens. The whole point of these attacks was to let the Church establishment know that their campaign of terror against the commoners had not only failed, but had actually sown the seeds of their own demise as well. So the fact of the deeply resentful sentiments the people held for the Pope coupled with the unstable security situation made a visit to this Kingdom by his Holiness seem irrational at best.

Auric was a man who had a unique ability to see the method behind the madness where other men would simply see disorder. For example, many failed to see what the Pope hoped to gain staging such horrific displays of horror for the commoners. What was the point of all those executions?

Auric, however understood perfectly: It was all about the crusades. With all the Kingdoms of Halkeginia fighting off the commoner insurrection, there would be no enthusiasm for mounting another campaign to take back the Founder's Holy Land. Since the death of Vittorio, the new Pope has made it quite clear that his priority was to launch a new crusade as soon as possible. Unfortunately Robert de Sable and his band of misfits threw the proverbial monkey wrench into those plans. So the Pope decided to use these methods of intimidation to shock the commoners into coming to heel.

So Auric understood the reasoning behind the reign of terror, yet he could not see any sense behind the Pope's willingness to put his own personal safety at risk by visiting a country where the people hated him so.

Using this reasoning as a guide, Auric followed his thoughts to their only natural conclusion:

_This is a trap._

Again, the reasoning was simple. When faced with an elusive quarry that is extremely adept at hiding in the shadows and striking from them, one would need an irresistible bait to draw it out into the open.

So why not plant a little false information and use the source that has been delivering said information to the resistance as a means of enticement?

The resistance then takes the bait and springs the trap.

Score another victory for the Church.

Auric's thoughts need only make another small leap to reach the next conclusion:

_Galen's source has been compromised._

This source of Galen's, whoever he was, had obviously been captured or tricked into being used as a means of eliminating the resistance. This revelation made Auric's heart ache a little; this brave soul had paid the ultimate price to help the people of Gallia.

"Auric?"

The resistance leader turned his head to locate the source of the voice that had just called his name.

It was his wife, the shopkeeper for the _Pottery Shack_, a store which acted as a frontto conceal the resistance movement's base of operations from the government.

"What is it Miranda?"

"You have a visitor."

Auric was puzzled. Any resistance members would have simply used the trap door to enter the organization's sanctum in the basement where Auric was currently pondering the fate of Galen's source.

Anyone else would not know that Auric was even here.

"Who would be calling for me in such a manner as this?"

"It's Beckett, he's come from Albion. Apparently he was sent by Robert himself."

Auric bolted upright

"Robert?"

"But he's dead! He was killed trying to kidnap Queen Henrietta and Queen Charlotte."

"That's not all. He…..has brought someone with him. It's-"

But Auric would not let his wife finish, he gently brushed his wife aside and strode into the basement's next room.

What greeted Auric was a sight that he would carry with him until he died a toothless old man in his bed.

There were two people waiting for Grindelwald in the next room. One was Beckett, second in command to Robert de Sable, and standing next to him was…..

"Queen Josette-Your Majesty-please forgive me, I had no idea!" Auric stammered as he fell prostrate to the floor.

"Actually," replied Beckett, who stood next to the Queen. "This is not Josette."

Auric looked up at the short, blue haired woman in front of him.

_No! It couldn't be!_

Then again if Robert was alive, then this too must be so.

"Queen Charlotte?"

Beckett nodded.

Auric slowly stood and approached the Queen.

Your Majesty, I am honored to have you in my….." Auric paused and looked around the rather austere surroundings of the basement.

"…..home." he finished.

"Need to talk." Tabitha said.

"Of course Your Majesty" Auric said, and gestured for them to follow him back into the next room.

Once seated, the Queen wasted no time getting to business.

"What has been happening in my Kingdom?"

"Well Your Highness" Auric began. "As with the other Kingdoms of Halkeginia we the commoners have been engaged in a rebellion against the nobility. However, some months ago, the Pope sent representatives to each Kingdom in Halkeginia to try to frighten the commoners into surrendering. The representative in Gallia is Archbishop Franco Viscido. He has been holding summary inquiries daily and executing those deemed as heretics with these new beheading machines he brought from Romalia."

Despite being on the side of the commoners, Auric decided that it would be best if he gave a non partisan assessment of the events that have transpired since Charlotte vanished.

"The Bishop rules with the consent of the Queen, Her Royal Highness Josette. In truth, the Queen…"

Auric paused to consider his words. If Charlotte has been alive this whole time, then Josette was never legitimately Queen.

"….uh your sister," Auric corrected, "has been a virtual prisoner in the palace of Versailles. The Bishop is the one who holds the real power in Gallia. Josette has been made into nothing more than a figurehead. Bishop Viscido rules with absolute authority. He had Gallia's official Mage Knight Corp disbanded, and now controls the kingdom with a cadre of Romalian troops."

"If we restore Charlotte to the throne, she can order that the Bishop be expelled from the Kingdom." Beckett added.

"The people do not wish for that monster to be simply expelled. He must be made to pay for the crimes he has committed against the people of Gallia!" Auric demanded.

"We cannot try him." said Tabitha.

"That's right Auric; he is an official of the Church, and thus has immunity from all possible prosecution. His position puts him above the law."

"What are we to do then Beckett? Simply ignore what has happened these past months? You were not here to witness the horrors this man has visited upon the people! You did not witness the sweeps, the inquiries where innocents were sentenced to die without a shred of evidence against them! You did not see the stacks of corpses, or smell them as they baked in the afternoon sun, because the Bishop refused to allow them to be buried until he felt that the maximum amount of fear had been imparted to those who were forced to walk past them!"

Auric stood up and leaned over the table, both hands pressed firmly against the wooden surface.

"Viscido must die! That is the only possible ending that will satisfy the Gallian people."

He turned to look at Queen Charlotte.

"That is the only way to ensure that the people will welcome you back with any sort of enthusiasm Your Majesty."

Tabitha thought deeply about the situation. She recalled a time when she had the opportunity to kill her uncle King Joseph. Joseph had ascended to the throne by murdering his own brother, Tabitha's father; he then tried to have Tabitha drink a poisonous potion that her mother drank in her stead. When an enraged Tabitha finally caught up to Joseph, she wanted nothing more than to kill him then and there for his crimes. Saito however gave Tabitha a choice. She did not have to become a murderer like her uncle. She could be merciful, and put herself above revenge by letting Joseph face justice. In the end she decided to spare her uncle's life, and Saito respected her for that.

She found herself wondering what Saito would say to her now.

"First I must return to the capital." Tabitha said.

She then gave Auric a serious look.

"Will you help me?"

Auric thought for a moment, slowly choosing what to say to the Queen.

"Very well Your Highness, we will help you. However it would do you well to remember why this rebellion began in the first place. The people will not stand being pawns in the political games of the nobility any longer. We want the right to determine our own destinies."

He leaned forward to emphasize just how serious he was to the Queen.

"Make no mistake Queen Charlotte; the days of the nobility toying with the lives of the commoners are over. If you forget that, you will find us to be adversaries very soon."

Tabitha nodded.

Auric smiled.

"Very well Your Majesty. I know it's not much, but I welcome you to enjoy our hospitality this evening."

Auric stood and motioned to the door.

"Please allow my wife to show you where you'll be staying."

**Scene Break**

The next morning, some miles from Lutece, in the dungeon below the Royal Palace in Versailles, Julio Chesare sat in a cell awaiting his fate. A fate that he was certain would involve the removal of his head.

The dungeon was eerily quiet this morning. Normally the cells would be filled with the noise of prisoners incarcerated for various offenses, everything from petty theft to murder. But the Bishop's recent _reforms_ of the Gallian justice system meant that jails were largely unnecessary. Defendants were often tried, convicted, and executed all on the same day.

In fact, Julio was fairly certain that he was the only prisoner being housed in here.

He sat against the rear wall of his cell, his head dangling between his arms, which in turn rested atop his knees. He thought of the decisions that he made to get here, and he had to admit, despite his impending execution; he had no regrets. If given the choice he'd do it all over again.

Not that betraying the Church had been an easy decision to make. Julio was once the familiar of none other than the Pope himself. Pope Vittorio, AKA St. Aegis the 32nd. Julio recalled watching in horror as his master was eaten alive by the Ancient Dragon, his void powers fueling the beast even more and giving it the ability to fly and bring death and destruction to Halkeginia that much sooner.

After the death of Vittorio, Julio was never the same. Even after Josette became a void mage and summoned Julio as her familiar, he never quite got over the death of his first master.

Julio _believed _in the Church and what it had been trying to accomplish. Vittorio may have proven to be a bit extreme in his machinations to get the Kingdoms and their Void Mages to go on the crusade to retake the Holy Land, but his intentions were pure. He truly believed that he was doing nothing less than saving Halkeginia and all of mankind in the process.

Vittorio was, when one got down to it, a decent man.

The same could not be said of the current Pope, nor could it be said of his mad dog, the Bishop Viscido.

This Pope simply wanted to be known as the one who completed Vittorio's noble quest. He wanted recognition in the history books.

Bishop Viscido however, was something else entirely.

Despite having a grandfatherly appearance: slightly plump in the middle with thinning silver hair, he emanated a positively toxic aura.

Something truly evil dwelled within this man, and Julio knew it.

Julio also knew that someone must oppose him, no matter what.

When faced with that reality, his decision to stand against the Church may not have been an easy one, but it was an obvious one.

Suddenly Julio raised his head. The sound of jangling keys getting his attention.

Someone was coming.

His cell door opened and four guards quickly entered.

Two of the guards hoisted Julio up by his arms and manacled him to the wall by his wrists.

The other two guards secured Julio's ankles with chains.

Julio narrowed his eyes at his cell door. He had a visitor.

Bishop Viscido had come to check on his former servant.

The Bishop slowly entered the cell, his eyes firmly fixed on the man who betrayed him.

"My dear boy." The Bishop said in a mournful tone. "Words simply cannot describe how truly disappointed I am in you."

Julio simply stared ahead, leaving his expression blank. He would not give this monster the satisfaction of seeing the contempt he felt.

"I would have offered you no less than the world at your feet. Together, you and I could have saved Halkeginia from the elves, saved it from being overrun by the filth of the commoners, but now-"

The Bishop looked Julio up and down from head to toe.

"I'm afraid I'll just have to make do without you."

He smiled at Julio malevolently.

"Say. I wonder if Josette would appreciate being on the arm of the most powerful man in Halkeginia."

Julio flew towards the Bishop only to be stopped by the chains firmly anchoring him to the wall.

"No?" The Bishop asked playfully. "Well, it was just a thought. Pity really, she is quite lovely in her own special way."

Julio hocked his throat and spit in Viscido's face.

Two guards each delivered devastating blows to Julio's midsection.

Julio hung by his wrists, coughing and struggling to regain his breath after having the wind knocked out of him.

As Bishop Viscido wiped his face off with a handkerchief he heard Julio mumble something unintelligibly.

"What was that?" He asked, bending low and presenting his left ear to Julio.

"Care to repeat that?"

Julio took several deep breaths, filling his lungs with much needed air. He lifted his head and smiled at Viscido.

"You'll-You'll never be Pope."

"WRONG!"

The Bishop screamed as the back of his hand found Julio's cheekbone.

He reached over and grabbed Julio by the hair. He pulled the chained man's face up to his own. Julio could smell and feel the Bishop's hot breath as he continued to berate him.

"You do not speak to me! You have no right to address me!"

Viscido released Julio and reached to smooth out his robes. He was slightly embarrassed over his momentary loss of control. He looked back to Julio, smiled and held up a finger.

"One thing you and the rest of the commoners do not understand, is that it's not about whose more popular or most idealistic. It's about whose in control; it's about power, and the willingness to project that power."

"Halkeginia is in chaos! Commoners are rebelling everywhere, the Pope is declaring war on Tristain, and now this resistance movement is stirring up trouble in Gallia. It's all such a mess. When all is said and done, the Cardinals in Romalia are going to want someone who will bring order to the chaos. Someone with the vision and force of will to save us from the anarchy that threatens to consume us all."

"Whenever things look bleak, the people will always turn to the one who can bring them stability, and security."

The Bishop began pacing back and forth in Julio's cell as he continued his monologue.

"But for the Pope, it's not just about having power over others; it's about having the _ultimate _power. Tell me Julio, have you ever heard of the _Founder's Blessing?_"

Viscido waited several moments as Julio remained silent.

The Bishop sighed heavily.

"Yes Julio, you may speak now."

Julio lifted his head up.

"No, never heard of it."

"Well, it's something that I came across during my years at the seminary. _The Founder's Blessing _is a magical artifact. In fact I am sure that none of the other Popes were ever aware of this artifact's existence, otherwise they would have used it. I'm sure that you're already familiar with the Founder's other artifacts, the Round Mirror, the Incense Burner, the Founder's Prayer Book, and Music Box."

"Well it turns out that towards the end of his life, Brimir became aware that he may not live to see the Holy Land taken back from the elves, a notion that proved to be correct when he was betrayed and murdered by his familiar. So he devised an object that was meant to be used after his death as a vessel to contain his soul. Using the power of Void to keep his essence intact until a way could be found to resurrect him."

"But that's not even the best part. You are doubtlessly aware of the Founder's flair for producing portals to other worlds. This artifact doesn't just open portals to other locations. It opens gateways to _history._"

The Bishop's eyes filled with zeal as he began to describe the possibilities that awaited one who controlled such power.

"Just think of it Julio! The ability to go back and fix all the Founder's failures, the power to reshape history in any manner you see fit! The one who controls this artifact can become the master of time itself!"

Julio looked up at the Bishop.

"But the Founder's writings mention nothing about the ability to manipulate time. Such feats are not possible!"

"Yes, but think logically Julio! The Founder cast a spell to create portals to transport strange and exotic weapons from another world to Halkeginia, yet he lived over six thousand years before these weapons existed! How could he possibly know that those commoners from another world would become so inventive?"

Julio hung from his manacles, staring blankly at the Bishop.

Viscido made a fist and slammed it into the palm of his other hand.

"He knew because he'd been there! He could see through the ages just what those people would create!"

"What does this have to with you becoming Pope?"

"Ahh, thank you Julio I was just coming to that."

"You see my boy; the artifact only works if one possesses the key. This key is only passed down from Pope to Pope, and he wears it on his finger."

Julio's eyes lit up as his mind made the connection.

"The Ruby of Fire."

"That's right Julio, the red ring worn by the Pope. I'd heard a rumor that when the Ring went missing over twenty years ago, an entire village was burned to the ground in order to retrieve it. This revelation explains why it was so important to get it back."

"The artifact is located in Romalia beneath the Pope's residence. My status as Bishop of Gallia will enable me to gain access to it easily, but it is worthless to me if I cannot use it. I need that ring, and the only way to possess it is to become Pope."

Visido was as a man possessed. He rubbed his hands together as he elucidated his ambitions

"Don't you understand Julio? With this artifact under my control I don't need to launch any more crusades. I can go back to a time when the elves were less powerful, and destroy them then. We will be saved!"

Julio, still hanging by his wrists, merely shook his head.

But then with a look of profound disappointment the Bishop said, "Sadly, thanks to your betrayal it is an adventure you will not be accompanying me on. I'm afraid that Halkeginia's future will no longer be your concern."

With that he patted Julio's cheek, and left his cell.

Once the Bishop was a safe distance away, the guard released his manacles and left Julio to lie on the floor of his cell. He thought of Josette, and wondered what would become of her after he was gone.

**Scene Break**

Saito yawned as the carriage rolled to a stop just outside of the Royal Palace of Tristain. It had been a long and exhausting carriage ride from the refugee camps near the Gallian border back to the Palace. Saito wondered if he would be able to get any rest before speaking with these representatives from Germania and Albion.

He wagered that answer would probably be no.

After coming to a complete stop, a Royal Guardsman reached and opened the carriage door. First to exit was Cardinal Mazarin and finally the King himself.

Saito never had quite gotten used to all the pomp and circumstance that came being a monarch. Even now several months after being crowned King of Tristain, Saito still gasped each time he saw the long red carpet lined on either side with knights that saluted him, and led all the way to the inside of the Palace Main Hall.

Upon reaching the main entrance to the Hall, Saito was immediately set upon by a familiar face.

"Saito-San!"

_Glomp!_

Upon seeing her master, Siesta, the King's personal maid, ran up to him and wrapped him up in bear hug.

The force of her body's impact brought both maid and monarch crashing to the ground.

"Saito-san! I missed you so much!"

Lying flat on his back with Siesta's ample cleavage staring him in the face, Saito blushed crimson.

"T-t-thank you Siesta" the King said nervously "I m-m-missed you too."

"Hee-hee!" Siesta giggled. "I made you your favorite yosenabe soup! But if you're not hungry for dinner I'll understand."

Siesta looked lustily into her master's eyes before bringing her breasts up to rest directly on Saito's face.

"We can skip right to dessert!"

"Please Siesta!" Saito pleaded. "You need to let me get up! Quickly before-"

"SAITO!"

_Too late._

As fast as her slender legs could carry her, Louise Francoise Le Blanc de Hiraga, the Queen of Tristain, strode over to her husband, now lying under the curvaceous flesh of Siesta.

She planted one foot against the side of the maid and pushed her off of Saito.

"Hey maid! Horny milk maid! Go dust the furniture or something, Saito is mine!"

Saito fearfully looked up at his wife who now stood over him. In that instant his expression went from terror to perverted voyeurism.

Saito, who was still lying flat on his back, could see under his wife's dress, and all the up Louise's silky slender legs. His eyes followed them up to Louise's underwear.

_Ooo Pink with lace today._

It was a lot easier to appreciate his wife's choice in undergarments when he no longer had to wash them.

Louise looked down at her familiar; she had known him long enough to understand the meaning behind his dreamy eyed look coupled with that mischievous smile he wore.

"Hey Dog!"

At the sound of her voice Saito snapped out of it and looked up at his wife.

"Enjoying the view?"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The King immediately covered his face with his hands and went into the fetal position to prepare himself for the _Explosion_ he knew would be coming next.

After several moments of silence, Saito cautiously opened his eyes. Whatever he thought he might be expecting to see, he was not expecting this.

Louise was bent over and smiling at Saito, her outstretched hand offering to help him up.

Saito slowly accepted his master's hand, and was pulled to his feet.

He looked at Louise with confusion.

"Ok who are you and what have you done with Louise?" Saito asked.

The next instant Saito's eyes went wide and his face red. His hands were cradling his genitals as they screamed in pain.

He sank to his knees and moaned.

"There, satisfied?" Louise asked as she removed her foot from Saito's nether region and began to walk away.

"Whenever you're finished pulling yourself together," Louise called back as she continued up the stairs, "we have guests waiting."

**Scene Break**

Saito shifted uncomfortably in his chair in the Palace's main sitting room. It was hard to find a position which didn't aggravate his still smarting male parts even more.

"Your Highness."

Saito looked over to Cardinal Mazarin.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

"I'll be fine" Saito replied.

_Eventually, _he thought while casting an annoyed glance at his wife.

Louise simply glared back at her husband and stuck out her tongue.

Seated in chairs across from Cardinal Mazarin and the Royal couple, were two representatives from Germania and Albion.

They both nervously drummed their fingers against the conference table.

Duke Winthrop Morgenthau hailed from Albion. He had a small fiefdom outside of Londonium, and as a Lord who depended on peasant labor to get his crops and wine to market, he understood all too well the impact the labor shortage was having on the overall economy, and of course the impending famine.

Then there was Ernst von Braun. Though not a land owner, his position as Germania's treasury minister also gave him a front row seat to the economic chaos caused by the rebellion.

The problem in both kingdoms was actually quite simple: The shockingly brutal and indiscriminate suppression tactics employed by the Church were not working. If anything they were fanning the fires of this revolution even more. The servants had left the fields, opting to pick up a sword or a firearm rather than a plow. The merchants were going broke from the lack of customers. After all, not many would feel like shopping when just the simple act of venturing outside one's home could cost you your head.

The nobility had limitless zeal in their quest to put these impudent peasants in their place; however that seemingly limitless enthusiasm quickly evaporated once this struggle began to affect their pocket books, not to mention their bellies.

The royal families were ready to deal.

Saito had spent most of the carriage ride over explaining to Mazarin just what the _Magna Carta _was. He explained that on his world many centuries ago, Earth looked a great deal like Halkeginia, there were kings and queens who lived in castles, as well as knights who fought for their feudal landowner bosses. There was also a nobility class, and peasants who lived in fear of all of them. In fact, the only real difference was a lack of magic. Everything else was pretty much the same. However, much like the peasantry here, the people of the Earthly Kingdoms grew weary of this system and rebelled against it. After a protracted struggle, they managed to force their king to sign a document which guaranteed basic freedoms for the common man or woman. This document became known as the _Magna Carta_, or Great Charter.

Saito believed that the same type of document would work here…..if he could convince the Royalty to get on board.

Saito eyed both men intently.

"Gentlemen" Saito began, "I understand how important the old traditions of nobility are to you, however, I'm here to tell you that the old way of doing things in Halkeginia are over."

The nobles immediately pounced on Saito's words.

"The traditions of nobility were put forth by the Founder himself. It is a system that has worked for six thousand years!" said the Duke.

"If we throw that away, what will we be left with?" Asked Ernst von Braun.

_Careful Saito_, he thought to himself, _don't hit them with too much at once. Remember, change comes slowly._

"I'm not saying that you can no longer be nobles" Saito continued, "I just mean that things have to change for the commoners if you expect them to stop the fighting."

"What do you propose?"

"First, all commoners should have the right to send representatives to the King to speak on their behalf. For example, if the monarchy is going to impose new taxes, or any new laws that affect the peasantry, they should have the right to voice their opinions on how that law is to be written."

The two representatives stiffened at Saito's proposal. Commoners dictating policy to the King? The idea was absurd.

"Next, commoners will decide who they work for, and what work they perform."

This was especially important to Saito. He remembered how it felt to be taken from his home world and basically be enslaved by Louise when she made him her familiar. He also recalled how shortly after his arrival, poor Siesta was traded like a piece of property to Count Mott. Officially, she was to serve as his maid. In truth, the Count merely wanted to make Siesta his little sex slave.

"What this means is that commoners will be free to leave their noble employers anytime they wish. If you want them to stay, treat them well."

Again, both representatives grimaced. While these ideas were common place on Saito's world, here these proposals were nothing short of radical, and disruptive.

"Also, every person born in Halkeginia, whether noble or peasant will have the right to be educated. Every child will have the right to go to school."

Saito could not help but smile at this. Saito was never what you would call a model student. In fact it would be safe to say that Saito hated going to school. And yet here he was, far away from home, making the case for universal education.

The King understood that while he can make the push to secure rights for the commoners, it will be up to future generations to keep them. An educated and well informed citizenry stood a much better chance at doing that, then those who could not read or write.

"Also, commoners will have the right to own property."

Even Louise gasped at this one. The right to own land was one of the fundamental privileges that separated the nobles from the commoners. If a commoner could own land, he could become a baron, or a duke. True, Queen Henrietta bestowed a domain on Saito when he was a commoner, but that was a special case done in gratitude for the services that Saito had performed for the Kingdom, and even then it took a special order from the Queen to make it happen. What Saito was proposing, would make it possible for a commoner to purchase land at will.

"Finally, each person in Halkegina, regardless of social status, will be viewed the same in the eyes of the law. That is each person will have the same rights and responsibilities as everyone else. If a crime is committed by a noble, he or she will face the same consequences as a commoner would."

The two royal envoys eyed each other nervously. The King of Tristain told them that he was not asking them to stop being nobles, but these proposals were basically taking away every advantage that came with being the nobility.

Saito could tell they were less than pleased by what he had just told them, but he pressed on undaunted.

"Gentlemen, it is as I said, the old way of doing things is over. If the nobility is to survive, if Halkeginian society is to survive, things have to change. The commoners will not accept the status quoi. Furthermore, if the commoners are to accept these rights, they have to be granted irrevocably. That means that no king or queen, from now until eternity, will have the power to rescind these rights. They belong to the people forever."

After a brief silence, Lord Morgenthau spoke up.

"Uhh we will have to confer with our governments before agreeing to….to…..this."

"Certainly, but understand this. If you do not grant these freedoms to the commoners, they will not stop fighting until they've taken them from you. If these rights can only be won over your own cold, dead corpses, then so be it."

Louise sat in absolute stunned silence. To say that she was impressed with her husband was an understatement. She couldn't believe how much Saito's speaking and negotiating skills had grown since ascending to the throne. Her familiar had come a long way since dropping out of the sky over the Vestri Courtyard at the Magic Academy during the Spring Summoning Ceremony all those years ago.

Saito seemed to pick up on his wife's thoughts; he puffed out his chest a little as Louise eyed him. He knew he had done well, of course he'd had a lot of coaching from Alexander before leaving the refugee camps, but Louise didn't need to know that.

Saito, Louise, and Cardinal Mazarin spent the remainder of the evening putting these proposals down on parchment in order to give the representatives something to take back to their kingdoms. Saito set the example by being the first monarch to sign the document. After fixing his own signature to each copy, he handed the quill to Louise.

Louise looked at her husband and smiled. They truly were making history, and as Louise added her signature to Saito's own, he too marveled at just how far Louise had come since their first days together. To Louise, a commoner was someone to be ignored most of the time, and punished if not obedient enough. Now here she was part of the movement granting universal liberties to them all.

Saito thought of an old song from an American artist.

_It was from Bob Dylan wasn't it?_ Saito asked himself.

"_Oh the times they are a changin."_

**Scene Break**

Queen Josette lay in her bed hugging her pillow tightly. She was crying uncontrollably. The Queen had received word earlier that evening that her lover Julio Chesare, was to be executed in the morning for treason against the Church of Brimir. Apparently he'd been unmasked as the one who had been passing information to the resistance in Lutece.

A few hours ago, the Queen had gone to the dungeon to see her beloved. Unfortunately the Romalian guards who ensured his incarceration did not answer to her. They answered to Bishop Viscido.

"I…. AM… THE QUEEN OF GALLIA!" she screamed at them. "I ORDER YOU TO LET ME IN!"

The guards stood stoically, and ignored the monarch's command.

So now she sat helplessly in her room, watching the hours pass until the Church that she once faithfully served took the one thing remaining in her life that still brought her joy. The only thing that gave her life any meaning: Julio, the man she would love for eternity.

And as dusk became night, and the night gave way to the dawn, the Queen had plenty of time to mull things over. Her mind played over and over, the events that led up to this moment.

The mind, while incredibly resilient, can also be quite fragile at the same time. When subject to enough pressure, parts of the psyche can become unstable, and eventually snap, causing a person to act out in ways that were previously unthinkable.

The Queen's own damaged psyche had just reached a fateful decision.

She glanced at a corner of her room and saw that an object ordinarily filling that space was no longer there. The guards it would seem had confiscated her staff. Another pair of guards stood outside her door with orders not to let her out for any reason.

Apparently the Bishop did not trust the Queen of Gallia.

_And for good reason,_ she thought.

Josette wondered just how thorough the guards were in doing their duty. She knelt down to the floor and pried up a loose board. After the Bishop came to Gallia and stole her Kingdom, Josette had decided that certain precautions had to be taken. As she finished prying up the board and she'd found what she was looking for, she was grateful for her ability to foresee this need.

**Scene Break**

Julio Chesare watched as the morning sun began to peek through the bars that dominated his window. He sighed quietly.

_It won't be long now._

**Scene Break**

Bishop Viscido had taken his customary place on the balcony above the machine that would carry out this morning's execution. He had announced to the gathered crowd that today's beheading would be a special occasion. The traitor that had sold out the people of Gallia to aid a ruthless organization bent on destroying the government of Gallia and delivering them all into anarchy had been found, and that on this day, God's justice would prevail.

Just as he finished speaking, the door leading from the dungeons to the courtyard opened. Four guards escorted the prisoner to his fate.

**Scene Break**

The door to Queen Josette's quarters stood open, the room's occupant gone. The guards who been assigned to watch her were nowhere to be seen. In their place were two small piles of ash. A few stray, glowing embers floated above them.

**Scene Break**

Julio Chesare was led into the courtyard where the death machine waited for him. It would be only moments before he would be ensnared in its savage embrace. He was led up the steps to the platform where the device stood. He could see the large contingent of the Romalian Mage Knights standing guard on the upper balcony that wrapped itself around the courtyard on three sides. Wand canes drawn and spells precast, ready to be unleashed at the slightest sign of trouble. The hooded executioner began the process of placing Julio into the machine.

**Scene Break**

Bishop Viscido sat on the upper balcony, waiting for the execution to begin. He smiled with satisfaction at having eliminated the source of the resistance's flow of information. However, he also understood that executing Julio meant that sooner or later, he would have to take steps in dealing with Julio's lover, the Queen. There was no doubt in his mind that the Queen would now have to be eliminated. He just needed the right pretense to make it happen. He was just beginning to consider his options in this matter, when the guard to his immediate right burst into ashes. One moment he was there and the next he was gone. Floating embers glowed red and orange as they fluttered along miniature air currents. The Bishop and the remaining guards stood up and turned around.

Queen Josette stood before them, a wand clutched firmly in her hand. The Bishop remembered that he ordered the guards to remove her staff from her room as a precaution against just this sort of action. Yet it would seem that despite that prudent precaution, Viscido had still managed to underestimate the petite and diminutive Queen.

_Apparently, she was smart enough to keep a spare wand concealed where she could get to it._

The sight that greeted Viscido and his remaining guards was a frightening one. Queen Josette was still dressed in her night gown. Her eyes were sunken, and bloodshot from a night spent crying, her face bearing a dazed and empty expression. The Queen's hair was blown askance, and no footwear was present to come between her feet and the cold stones they tread upon.

The Queen truly looked an awful mess.

She stood pointing her spare wand at the Bishop and his cronies. At the sight of the one man who had caused her so much pain and anguish, the Queen began to shed tears again, however, her overall expression remained hard and unbreakable.

She was a woman that had clearly reached her breaking point.

She was a woman with murder on her mind.

The Bishop, despite being at a profound disadvantage, kept his expression neutral.

"Something I can do for you Your Majesty?" he asked calmly.

Just then the guard on the Bishop's other side made a move toward the Queen. She waved her wand slightly and he too disintegrated into a whirling cloud of glowing ash.

The Bishop maintained his stoic expression.

"Impressive Your Highness, you truly are the Void Mage of Gallia."

Shortly after the death of King Joseph, Josette had inherited her uncle's void powers, and like Louise, Josette was capable of chanting _Explosion_. However unlike Louise's spell, which was more powerful, but capable of affecting a wider area, Josette's _Explosion _could be concentrated into a smaller area, and could thus be used for a more potent effect.

Like turning a person to ash by unleashing the spell's energy from within a target's own body.

"You're not killing any more of my people." said the Queen in a calm rational voice.

She pointed her wand directly at the Bishop.

"Release Julio."

"Be reasonable Your Majesty, Julio Chesare was caught passing state secrets to the enemy, which is an act of treason. I'm afraid the law is quite clear on this matter."

"Release him or die."

"I know just how much you would love to kill me Josette." He said, calling the Queen by name.

"But killing me will not stop what is about to happen. However…." The Bishop gave his trademark calculating smile. "…if you would be willing to provide some mitigating evidence on his behalf, I could be persuaded to reconsider the death sentence."

The Bishop's smile grew even wider as he spoke that last sentence.

Josette stood silently, her wand still pointed at Viscdo's head. Every fiber of her being, every particle of matter that made up her entire existence was begging, no demanding that she just cast her spell and end him forever.

But if she gave into those desires, if she became the one to send Viscido to the eternal damnation that he so richly deserved, Julio would die as well.

And no matter how tempting it was to just chant be done with it, she could not bear to watch the love of her life die.

That was what it meant to love someone as unconditionally as she did Julio.

And now Viscido was about to use that love to make all of Gallia his, without any hindrances or restrictions. In the Queen's desperate love for Julio, he had found an opportunity to secure his final victory.

Everyone on the upper balcony could hear the headsman begin to read the list of charges from the bill of execution.

The Bishop, sensing Josette's hesitation, decided to give her some coaxing.

"Decide quickly Your Majesty, once the charges are read, the blade drops."

Josette stood rigidly, still threatening Viscido with her wand. Both knew that the standoff was about to be decided. The only question was, when the Queen spoke next, would it be an incantation, or the "mitigating evidence" that the Bishop wanted to hear?

After a few moments that seemed to stretch into the life span of a universe, the Queen finally opened her mouth to speak.

**Scene Break**

Julio Chesare lay flat on his belly, fully encased by the machine that would end his life. While staring straight down at the basket that was to receive his head, he could hear the headsman reading the charges that had been brought against him. Suddenly the headsman finished speaking, and rolled up the bill of execution. Julio closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

It was time for the blade to drop.

Julio had made peace with his impending death, he was going to God with the clear conscience of a man who did everything he believed was right.

It was Josette that he worried for.

What would become of her once he was gone?

In his peripheral vision he could see the headsman reach for the release switch that would drop the blade.

He closed his eyes for the final time.

"HOLD!"

The headsman turned and looked toward the source of the intrusion.

It was Bishop Viscido.

"Release the prisoner!"

Julio could hear things being undone and unfastened. Soon he was hauled to his feet. He looked around at the gathered crowd, wondering what had brought about his unexpected salvation.

He then took in a sight that made his world stop completely.

On the upper balcony overlooking the courtyard stood Bishop Viscido as he did at every execution, but standing next to him was Josette.

Julio's mind put the pieces together instantly.

Josette, had made a deal, a deal to spare Julio his life.

"_NO!_" Julio cried out to his love.

"Damn you foolish woman WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?"

Julio made a move to step off the platform and was immediately seized by several pairs of hands.

As he struggled against the guards, the Myozunitonirun runes on Julio's forehead blazed to life.

Suddenly every wand from every mage knight leap from their owners grasp and pointed right back at them.

"Release her!" Julio cried out. Or I swear by the Founder I will kill every one of you with your own wands!"

The mage knights looked around, unsure of what to do. Unsure of what they could do with their own wands being used against them.

Suddenly, and without warning a guard struck Julio in the head from behind with a musket stock. The light faded from his runes as the Void Familiar lost consciousness, and dropped to the platform.

The wands of the Mage Knights clattered to the floor in front of them.

A guard kicked Julio off the execution platform and his unconscious form fell to the mud below.

Bishop Viscido began to address the crowd.

"My fellow devotees of the Brimiric flock!" he began.

"It is with a heavy heart that I tell you, that our own Queen Josette has confessed to being the driving force behind the plot to enable the resistance to disrupt our peaceful harmony!"

"It would appear that Julio Chesare was not a perpetrator but an pawn, duped by her Majesty the Queen into carrying out the subversive activities meant to sow fear and discord among the populace."

"The Queen has agreed to suffer the ultimate penalty for her transgression, and in return for this act of penance, I will show poor Chesare the mercy granted by our benevolent, and enlightened Founder."

The crowd erupted as Josette was led down the stairs and into the courtyard. As she approached the execution platform, she broke free of the guards and ran over to her unconscious lover.

Queen Josette knelt and pressed her lips against Julio's one last time.

"Goodbye" she whispered tearfully as the guards took her and marched her the remaining steps that led to the platform, and up to the machine.

The crowd grew more and more energetic as she was strapped to the board and lowered into the frame waiting to secure her head.

When all preparations were complete, the headsman looked to the Bishop, still seated on the upper balcony.

Viscido nodded his head, and the headsman reached up and pressed the blade release.

_Swish!_

The Queen's head dropped into the basket.

Suddenly, Julio screamed and thrashed violently as the runes of Myozunitonirun slowly faded from his forehead. Once they were gone, he was silent once more.

The headsman removed Josette's head from the basket, and holding it by the hair, displayed it to the raucous crowd.

Jossete d' Orleans, twin sister to Charlotte, and briefly Queen of Gallia, was no more.

A guard approached the Bishop.

"What do we do with him?" The guard asked gesturing to Julio, who was still lying unconscious in the mud.

"Return him to his cell. Let him mourn his loss, we'll execute him in the morning."

The headsman continue to move about the platform, from corner to corner displaying the Queen's severed head.

The Bishop smiled with satisfaction.

_Gallia is mine._


	15. 12 Void on the Rooftop

Author's Notes: Once again I apologize for the long time between updates. That's what happens when you put in 75 hour work weeks at the job. I did that two weeks in a row.

Anyhow, this chapter turned out to be waaaaaay longer than I intended, but it's still a good one.

Just hang in there readers! Book 1 is almost finished. Book 2 is when things start to get even more interesting!

I only have up to Volume 16 available to me because I can't read Japanese, and the translations are taking forever. (I'm looking at you Baka-Tsuki!) So I have reached the point where my canon knowledge of Brimir has run out, so I'm just going to have to start making stuff up. Don't worry though, It's still gonna be great!

Anywho, that's it from me I'm going to bed! Enjoy the chapter, and leave a review!

**Begin Story**

Lutece, the largest city in Gallia, was one of the most radiant, and beautiful cities in all of Halkeginia. Filled with large buildings boasting exotic curves, the cityscape gave off an aura not unlike that of a woman inviting a suitor to come and stay a while. And while bathed in the soft intermixing light of two moons, that aura would become positively irresistible. It was that beauty, coupled with the city's ideal location as a corridor to Romalia, which made Lutece a focal point of cultural and economic prosperity, a place where traders bringing exotic goods from beyond Halkeginia collided head first into pilgrims making the journey to Romalia to pay their respects to the Pope.

Lutece was known as the crossroads of Halkeginia, a place where the exotic and the mundane could meet regularly, a place where on any given evening; the streets would buzz with the comings and goings of artists, philosophers, and merchants.

However, in recent months the city had been ghostly quiet. The pilgrims gone and the merchants moved on to greener pastures. The artists and thinkers too had left Lutece, lest their ideas about non conformity and pushing the envelope of art and culture be deemed subversive to the Church and result in a swift decapitation.

And yet tonight, the streets had come alive once more. All over Lutece, the unmistakable buzz of hectic and frenzied activity filled the air.

A buzz that was punctuated by the shattering of glass and the occasional pistol shot.

Despite being almost a full day's horseback ride from Versailles, news of Queen Josette's morning execution traveled rather swift and arrived in Lutece that very evening. The news spread throughout the streets like wildfire and within hours, those streets had erupted in a chaotic symphony of discontent.

Mob rule had come to the streets of Lutece.

It had started innocuous enough. Upon hearing of the Queen's death, a small group of malcontented youths approached the main garrison of Romalian troops that patrolled the city.

When the group reached the gates of the installation one of the instigators could be heard shouting, "The Bishop desires all our heads! So we have brought them for you!"

The gathered youths began grasping and shaking the metal bars of the gate and calling for the Romalian soldiers to come out and face them.

To their credit the soldiers took the shouting and insults thrown by the crowd in stride and stood stoically even as the crowd grew.

Soon as many as one hundred citizens stood outside the garrison, shouting for the soldiers to leave their city and never return.

As time went on the crowd became ever larger and more and more unrestrained. Soon a few daring individuals began attempting to scale the gates and walls of the garrison.

And yet through it all the soldiers maintained their composure, a testament to the thoroughness of their training and discipline.

However, beneath the calm façade cracks were beginning to show in the soldiers' resolve.

Faces were turning red, brows were heating up, and trigger fingers were getting itchy.

The tinder was set; all that was needed was just the right spark.

A spark to ignite a conflagration that would change Gallia and perhaps all of Halkeginia forever.

It was not long before that spark was provided.

The exact individual would never be known, but some creative and inventive person had figured out that a wine bottle filled with volatile liquids and capped with a rag soaked in those liquids produced a simple, but powerful explosive device.

Lit with torches provided by some other equally thoughtful individuals, the makeshift bomb was thrown over the walls of the garrison.

The bottle landed at the feet of one unfortunate soldier and set him ablaze from head to toe.

As the soldier thrashed about, screaming and setting other objects on fire, the other soldiers had finally run out of patience. A dozen rifles raised and pointed at the crowd, before unleashing their deadly payload on the rioting citizens.

At least six, but more likely seven or eight instigators fell under the barrage.

After a long silence, a battle cry emerged from a single voice in the congregation.

"_Justice for Gallia! Justice Now!"_

And with a roar, the gathered sea of humanity charged the gates of the military garrison.

Now it takes approximately twenty seconds for an experienced soldier to discharge, reload, and discharge his musket again.

Unfortunately for them, it took only fifteen seconds for the gates to bend and crumple from the sheer weight of human beings pressing against them.

So feral were the gathered throngs that many who found themselves pressed against the gates were trampled by those behind them and died of suffocation as boot after boot after boot was pressed against their faces.

When the gates finally gave way, the Romalian troops who were still trying to reload their rifles, were instantly swallowed up by the tsunami of human misery that had come to exact its revenge.

Soon the rioters found and broke into the armory and began to arm themselves with rifles, pistols, swords, and all manner of daggers and other cutting implements.

After they finished outfitting themselves, the ruffians poured back out into the streets and began unleashing vigilante justice on the enemies of the people.

Inquiry judges, church and public officials, as well as all manner of nobles soon found themselves and their families dragged into the streets and murdered. Not even young noble children were spared the wrath of the people's fury.

Lacking a clear leader, whatever righteous and justifiable anger the crowd may have once possessed soon degenerated into anarchy and indiscriminate killing of anyone who was deemed an enemy of the peasantry.

Bathed in the soft glow of two moons, the streets of Lutece ran red with blood, and echoed with the screams of the dying.

**Scene Break**

After double locking the trap door above, Galen Solet descended into the basement sanctum of the Gallian resistance. He raced quickly to the meeting room where Tabitha, Beckett, Auric, and his wife Miranda waited.

Reaching them, he gave his report to Auric.

"Sir! It's a full blown revolution up there. The people are killing nobles everywhere, and burning and looting everything.

As if on cue, everyone in the small room could hear the sound of breaking glass and footsteps above as looters broke in and ransacked the _Pottery Shack._

No one dared make a sound, hoping that the ruffians wouldn't discover the trap door hidden beneath the rug in the store room.

Miranda winced as the looters above them destroyed all of her and her husband's most precious possessions.

Finally, after several minutes of huddling in fear, the gathered resistance members heard the footsteps begin to fade into the distance.

"We must hurry Your Majesty." Auric said. "We need to get you back into the capital so that the people can see you take back the throne."

"That may be unwise."

"And why is that Galen?"

"Because I know what has happened to put the people in such riotous a state."

"Well out with it!" Auric said after a few moments of silence.

Galen turned to face Tabitha.

"Your Highness" he said while kneeling before her. "I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, but…. Bishop Viscido had your sister Josette executed this morning."

Everyone covered their mouths and gasped.

Tabitha simply stared ahead, her face hardened, giving an expression of anger and resolve.

Her grip on her staff tightened, her fist clenched.

_Someone was going to answer for this._

A single tear ran down her cheek. However, that was all the emotion she could afford at the moment. There would be a time for grieving later.

Right now there was work to do.

"Where is my mother?" Tabitha asked.

"I don't know Your Highness. But the rumors are that the Queen Mother may have already fled the Palace, perhaps even the country. Viscido is said to be furious, and is searching for her."

"He believes that you are still alive Your Highness."

"He'll be seeing me soon enough." Tabitha said through her clenched teeth.

"No Your Highness!" Auric said frantically.

Tabitha turned and gave a stone cold look at Auric.

"He must pay for what he has done to my family, and to this Kingdom. You yourself said the same thing earlier right?"

"Yes your Highness, however, if Viscido sees you, he will have you killed. You are the last of the Royal Family, and I have no desire to see Gallia become like Albion."

Galen joined in.

"Furthermore, if the mob sees you, they will kill you as well. We must lay low until the situation quiets."

Tabitha shook her head.

"No. No more hiding. It's time I took back Gallia."

She looked at Auric.

"You said that you would help me. Is that promise still valid?"

Auric sighed in his resignation. It would appear that Queen Charlotte had made her decision; there would be no stopping her.

_Stubborn Royal pain in the ass._

"Very well Your Highness" Auric said. "But we need to get you out of Lutece and into Versailles without being seen."

"Galen!" Auric hollered.

"Yes sir!"

"Grab the plans for the city sewers we got from your source. It looks like they're going to be useful after all."

Tabitha arched her eyebrows. "Sewers?"

"Yes Your Majesty. It's the only out of the city without using surface routes."

Auric smiled at the Queen.

"I hope you're not squeamish."

**Scene Break**

Alone in the darkness, Julio Chesare sat in his cell and grieved.

The corridors of the dungeon filled with the desperate wailings of a man who had lost everything.

His only solace was that the dawn promised to bring relief from it all.

Despite giving his word to the late Queen Josette to spare Julio's life in exchange for surrendering her own, Bishop Viscido was going to execute Julio anyway.

Upon thinking of the Bishop, Julio's wailings turned from grief to rage.

He knew that it would be impossible, or at least highly unlikely, for him to exact revenge upon the Bishop in this life. However Julio also knew that he would march happily to the Gates of Hell and await his eventual arrival there.

Even at the cost of his own eternity, Julio would see Viscido's soul suffer in perpetuity.

And yet, Julio also knew that his beloved likely awaited his own arrival in the afterlife as well. Josette, adorned in robes of pure white, waiting to wrap him up in an everlasting embrace, such thoughts were enough to bring a slight smile to an otherwise suffering human being.

Maybe death won't be such a tragedy after all.

Julio, of course, did not fear death. His entire reason for being vanished the moment the machine's blade reached Josette's neck.

Now all he had to look forward to was the day that he would join his beloved in death, and be reunited with her once more.

Suddenly he heard the familiar sound of keys jingling against a moving leg.

_Damn guards,_ he thought. _What more can they take from me?_

Julio tensed up as the sound drew near.

The guards came closer and closer and….continued right past Julio's cell door.

They opened the door to the next cell over.

Then Julio's mouth fell open as he watched the Queen Mother walk past his cell and enter the one the guards opened.

Once the Queen Mother was inside, the guards locked the door and left.

Julio glared at his new neighbor.

"I told you to take the rhyme dragon and go." He said angrily.

"Not without my daughter." The Queen Mother replied. "I could not bear to leave her behind, just like I could not allow her to be killed for the crime of being a twin when she was a baby. That was why I had her sent away. I knew that my heart would damn me forever if I allowed that innocent child to die."

The Queen Mother began to cry softly.

"And now," she said through her sobs. "She has died anyway. I failed to protect her. I failed as a Mother, and now my little girl is gone."

Julio rushed over to the bars that made up the wall separating the two cells. He reached through them as far as he could to comfort the grieving mother.

"No, Your Majesty! I'm the one who is responsible for Josette" he said desperately. "My actions put her in a position where she was forced to choose my life over hers. Even after I realized her folly, I failed to protect her. I failed in my duties both as a familiar and as the man who loved her!"

The Queen Mother approached Julio and held his hands which were outstretched through the cell bars. She leaned against them and closed her eyes as she placed her forehead against Julio's own.

Julio continued to sob quietly.

"Please Your Majesty. I beg of you. Forgive me. Forgive me for allowing her to die."

"There is nothing to forgive Julio. You loved my daughter, and you made her so happy. For that I will be forever grateful."

She looked up at Julio and smiled at him as she slowly brushed the tears away from his cheek.

"Soon, we will both be reunited with her."

She sat down on the pile of hay that served as her bed.

The Queen Mother stared ahead and sighed.

"I only wish that I could see Charlotte one last time before I went."

"So it's true then, Charlotte is alive."

"Yes, and I pray that when she learns of what has happened here, she has the good sense to stay away from Gallia and just live quietly in peace."

"What of Charlotte's familiar?"

The Queen Mother sighed once again while staring at the floor.

"I don't know…I told her to flee and never look back. I told her that if she ever did find Charlotte, to tell that I love her, and to stay away from Gallia forever."

"But," she continued, "If that dragon is anything like her master, I know that she will not be able to leave well enough alone."

Julio thought for a moment.

"I have seen Charlotte in combat. She may be short of stature, but she is an extremely powerful mage. She could defeat the Bishop."

"Yes, but at what cost? Charlotte has known tragedy nearly her entire life. Her own father was murdered, and then those responsible tried repeatedly to murder her, first through poison, and then by knighting her and sending her on suicide missions. I worry about the damage to her soul if she becomes too accustomed to taking lives."

"I want my daughter to live a life free from all this suffering. I want her to live in a place where she is not surrounded by death."

The Queen Mother leaned against the bars of Julio's cell.

"I want her to just live…..a life of her own, far away from all this."

Through the bars separating their cells, Julio embraced the Queen Mother. He gently cradled her head with his hand as she leaned against his shoulder.

Both lover and mother wept over their shared loss as they waited for the dawn.

**Scene Break**

Elsewhere on the palace grounds that same night, far removed from the chaos and violence spreading throughout Lutece and Versailles this evening, Bishop Viscido was taking a late night stroll with his entourage.

He continued walking the grounds until he came upon a small non-descript building located on the far edge of the palace garden. This domed structure was built some generations ago with the purpose of housing special guests of Gallia's Royal Family. It was a place where dignitaries, spouses, and even mistresses could come and spend a little…_private time_ with their royal hosts.

However during the reign of King Joseph, who had no interest in amorous pursuits, the guest residence was converted into a special secured cell, complete with a heavy steel door, and bars on the windows. However, he did maintain the lavish furnishings within. The cell's intended residents were still family after all.

He had this luxurious cell built to house Tabitha and her Mother after both were to be incapacitated by the _Potion of Lost Heart. _

However, Tabitha escaped with her mother and Joseph was eventually converted to ash by the actions of his familiar Sheffield.

So the cell remained unused. That is until recently.

Upon reaching the steel door of the special cell Viscido produced a key from within his robes. After unlocking the door and allowing himself inside he took a moment to take in the scene before him.

The walls and floor of the cell were bare, having been stripped of the furnishings meant to keep royal prisoners comfortable. In the center of the one room structure there was a pile of hay.

And standing on that pile was one frightened, yet very pissed off rhyme dragon.

Upon seeing the Bishop enter the cell, Sylpheed lunged toward him, fully intending to rip out the man's throat with her teeth.

Unfortunately, she was stopped short of her goal by the heavy chains binding her to the floor.

The Bishop smiled contently.

"Strain as much as you like. Those chains are magically reinforced."

"You'll never break them."

Sylpheed roared angrily.

"That's right beast. I know you can understand me."

The Bishop began to slowly circle around the dragon, being careful to keep out of range of her claws.

"How terrible it must be for you" he said with a pained expression "To be the last of your kind."

"How lonely you must feel knowing that the family you left behind when you entered the summoning gate has been dead for thousands of years."

Sylpheed growled at the Bishop.

"What do you know of my family?" She snarled. "What do you know of my kind?"

"I know that you are extinct. I know that you were summoned from more than just some exotic and distant locale."

"The summoning portals can be tunnels through time as well."

Upon seeing the astonished expression on the dragon's face, Viscido's smile grew ever wider.

"That" said the Bishop excitedly, "is the only possible way for you to exist here and now!"

Sylpheed growled with even more anger.

The Bishop remained unconcerned and continued his speech.

"I also know that the rhyme dragons once served the elves of ancient times. And I am also aware that the ensuing war between the elves and the Founder resulted not only in his banishment from the Holy Land, but in the extinction of your race."

The Bishop stopped pacing and gave Sylpheed a sly grin.

"But I can offer you the chance to change all that. I can make your kind strong again. Just imagine the possibilities, the rhyme dragon species reborn, reigning supreme over their former domain!"

"All I require from you is some information."

The smile on Viscido's face vanished, and was replaced by a cold purposefulness.

"I need to know the exact date the Founder saved the elves from Prince Andvari."

"How could I possibly know that?" Sylpheed asked innocently.

"Because you were there."

Sylpheed could not prevent the look of plain shock from reaching her face.

"How- how do you know I was there? That was six thousand years ago, and a short time before I was brought here by the summoning!"

"After the war against Albion the Ring of Andvari was recovered. Its jewel was gone and only the ring itself remained, but the powerful Void magic contained by the jewel was imprinted on the ring."

"As was the memories of its namesake, Prince Andvari."

"I was one of the Church officials sent to investigate the ring and its Void properties. We thought the task to be impossible due to the absence of the ring's jewel but we pressed on. One night I had a dream about a strange man's arrival on Halkeginia. He was not from this place, but from somewhere else far away. Imagine my surprise when I learned that this man was none other than the Founder himself. I actually witnessed the Founder's arrival on Halkeginia!"

"Surly this was a vision bestowed on me by the Void."

"The Founder eventually met the elves, and found that they were being harassed by a people known as the Valiag. He offered to help the elves in exchange for shelter and some hospitality.

"Brimir then asked the elves who it was that led the Valiag, and they pointed him to Prince Andvari of Rub' al Khali."

"The Founder defeated the Valiag army, and in response, Andvari launched a devastating invasion of the elven lands. The elves were brought to their knees and came to the very brink of annihilation."

"Brimir saved the elves from extinction that day, and in return he was eventually betrayed by the elves and expelled from the Holy Land."

"And yet I saw something else in that vision."

He looked at Sylpheed admiringly.

"I saw a rhyme dragon carrying the Founder on its back, and leading the elves and the Founder's people to victory that day."

"And that was not just any rhyme dragon I saw."

"I saw _you._"

"You were there the day that Brimir defeated Prince Andvari and took the ring he used to control the Valiag."

"And sometime after that you entered the summoning gate and found your way here.

Viscido gave Sylpheed a look of pure triumph.

"That is the day I will strike! I will arrive when the elves are at their weakest! I will correct the Founder's mistake of saving them!"

"And with the elves gone, the war between them and the Founder will never take place."

Bishop Viscido smiled at the blue rhyme dragon.

"And your kind will have a long and prosperous future!"

"I just need to know the exact date the battle between the elves and Prince Andvari took place."

Sylpheed remained silent. Whether that silence was due to shock that the Bishop knew her secret or a desire to be uncooperative, Viscido could not tell.

Unfortunately, due to her shock, Sylpheed was no longer concealing a certain part of herself from the Bishop's view.

Again Viscido smiled triumphantly.

"I see your runes remain as well defined as ever. I'll take that as proof your master lives."

Sylpheed once again growled at Viscido.

"Charlotte must indeed be a truly powerful mage if she was able to summon a familiar such as you, and to summon not only across a great distance, but across time as well."

Viscido turned to exit the steel door.

"Consider my offer dragon. Because come dawn, Julio, and your master's mother will be joining the rest of your kind in oblivion."

Halfway through the door, Viscido turned back to face Sylpheed.

"Perhaps a little cooperation will awaken the spirit of mercy within me."

And with that he left and shut the heavy door with a loud _Clang!_

Sylpheed spent the remainder of the evening pondering the fate of her race vs. the fate of her master.

True, Viscido could save her kind.

But only her master could save everyone else from him.

**Scene Break**

While Lutece was being burned, looted and painted red with the blood of the nobility, Versailles by contrast was a tranquil and relatively safe place to be. A city which benefited greatly from the presence of the official royal residence and the massive security presence that such a location demanded.

It was in this peaceful atmosphere that a single lonely hay cart rolled into town. While the cart carried no hay, it was not actually empty either.

Holding the reins, Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt brought the cart to a stop. Kirche, Montmorency and Guiche climbed out of the back and looked around at the deserted street.

"Where is everyone?" asked Guiche.

"Probably at home, hiding in case there is another sweep" replied Montmorency.

"We might as well find a place to stay for the night as well. Not much will be happening tonight."

"Remember, were here to find our next target. Alastair Teague is the one who planned the assassination of Queen Louise. He's the one the Duchess will pay handsomely for."

"Don't worry about me" Kirche replied. "As a young and vibrant woman my memory is a sharp as ever."

She then turned to look at Fouquet.

"You on the other hand are fortunate to still be able to remember your own name."

Fouquet grew annoyed. She pointed her wand at the now empty hay cart. A hand rose up out of the street and crumpled the hay cart like paper.

The horses attached to the cart reared up in panic and took off down the street.

Finishing her display, Fouquet looked back to KIrche with a wicked smile.

"Call me an old lady one more time foolish girl, and I will wring every last drop of blood out of you like a filthy dish rag."

Kirche seethed in silent rage.

Fouquet turned to address the entire group.

"Now that little display with the horses is bound to send the guards running. Let's hurry up and get off the streets."

**Scene Break**

"Hmmmm" Kirche said with approval. "This is my kind of place."

"Of a woman with a complete loss of morals would find a place like this attractive." Fouquet countered.

Montmorency shook her head.

_Of course with a name like _The Naughty Prince Casino_, Kirche was bound to be a little intrigued._

"Kirche folded her arms and stuck out her tongue.

"At least I don't have play secretary to some dirty old man to see some action."

Fouquet returned a pouty expression.

"From what I've heard you haven't played in the bedroom in a while. What's wrong Kirche? Has the Flame Snake gone limp?"

Kirche pulled out her wand pressed the tip directly on Fouquet's nose.

"I'll only say this once, so let me be perfectly clear. You will never speak ill of Jean Colbert in my presence or I swear by the Founder himself I will listen to you squeal like the repugnant sow you are as I burn the flesh from your bones layer by layer."

"Stop it you two now!"

Montmorency pulled the two feuding women apart and stood between them.

"We have a mission to accomplish remember?"

Both mages turned their backs to one another with a "Humph!"

_I give up,_ thought Montmorency. _Where's Guiche?_

She quickly scanned the casino floor for her "boyfriend". Her eyes narrowed to tiny slits when they finally found him.

Guiche was busy chatting up one of the servant girls.

Her fist clenched so tightly her fingernails threatened to dig the flesh out of her palms, Montmorency stomped across the casino to punish him.

Fouquet and Kirche watched as Montmorency lambasted Guiche in front of everyone.

"I think Guiche does this on purpose so that he and Montmorency can "make up" later. Kirche observed dryly.

"Well," Fouquet sighed, "at least one of us girls will be having a pleasant evening."

Fouquet and Kirche stood facing each other and laughed.

"Come on" said Fouquet. "Let's get the rooms."

They approached the front desk and rang for the clerk.

A short bald man quickly sprung up from behind the counter.

"Ahh guests! I was beginning to think we would be seeing anyone at all tonight."

"Yeah I was wondering about that too" Kirche said while looking around the mostly empty casino.

The clerk looked at his two customers with surprise.

"You mean you haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

The clerk leaned in close to whisper to Kirche and Fouquet.

"The people in staying in tonight because of the riots in Lutece."

"Riots?" Kirche asked.

"Yes my lady. You see they started rioting over there when news reached them of the Queen's execution this morning.

"Executed?" Fouquet asked in shock.

"JOSETTE IS DEAD?" screamed Kirche.

"_SHHHHHHH" _Hissed the clerk angrily. "Not so loud. Are you trying to get me hauled away for an inquiry?"

Kirche collapsed to the floor. While sitting, she turned around and leaned against the counter. With her head in her hands she began to cry. Fouquet turned as well and slid her back down the front of the counter to sit next to her.

She gently held Kirche's shoulders.

"I'm sorry" Fouquet said softly.

"She was her twin sister."

"You mean Charlotte?"

"Tabitha." Kirche corrected.

When the ship bearing Queen Charlotte and Queen Henrietta exploded over the Albion Sea, Kirche was thrown into a brokenhearted anguish unlike anything she had ever experienced. Tabitha was her best friend, the first person Kirche had ever been able to open up to. When Josette took over as Queen, Kirche found it painful at first to see Tabitha's twin sister on Gallia's throne. Over time however, she came to realize that as long as Josette lived, a part of Tabitha would live on as well.

Now Kirche was experiencing that anguish and heart wrenching sadness all over again.

It was as though Tabitha had died twice.

Fouquet gently brushed the tears from Kirche's cheeks.

"Hey" Kirche said. "Just moment ago we were fighting. Why are you being so nice to me?"

Fouquet smiled warmly.

"Because I know how it feels to lose someone close to you." She said tenderly.

"That damn Bishop is the one who did this." Kirche seethed quietly in her rage. "He has to pay for this."

"Shhhhh." Fouquet warned. "He will, we'll see to it, I promise."

Fouquet stood up and slowly pulled Kirche up by her arm.

"But right now we need to get our rooms before we draw even more attention to ourselves."

Fouquet said this while gesturing to Guiche and Montmorency. Guiche was running around the casino floor, desperately trying to escape Montmorency, who had managed to capture Guiche's head in a bubble of water, and was holding it in place despite his running and thrashing.

Guiche's face was turning blue from the lack of air.

Kirche managed a smile in spite of herself.

"Perhaps we should get them their own room tonight."

"Absolutely" agreed Fouquet with a mischievous smile.

"Something tells me they're going to need some privacy."

Both women stood at the counter and laughed.

**Scene Break**

"Ughhhhhh"

Galen grimaced the moment his boots hit the murky water.

"Just try not to think about it" said Beckett.

"Easy for you to say, your boots are water proof."

"Will you two stop complaining?" Auric called as he climbed down the ladder leading from the manhole entrance.

"Or would you rather take your chances with the folks on the surface?"

"No complaints here Boss, the sewers are lovely this time of the year!" Galen chimed.

Beckett looked down around his feet at the inky liquid they were submerged in.

"Do you have any idea what just floated past me?"

_Splash!_

A small petite Queen landed feet first in the sewage sending waves of the stuff all over Beckett's pants.

Tabitha waved her staff and closed the manhole cover above their heads and looked at all of them with authority.

"Let's move."

Suddenly a bright flame sprouted up to pierce the pitch darkness of the sewer.

Auric Grindelwald had pulled out his wand and conjured a ball of flame on its tip. He was holding it up like a torch.

As they sloshed through the muck, Tabitha's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of Auric's wand.

"You're a noble."

"Ex-noble" corrected Auric.

"I no longer count myself as one of those self-centered, pompous, arrogant asses."

"I surrendered my title when my family demanded that I choose between my mantle and my bride."

"I see" Tabitha said silently.

"I highly doubt that Your Majesty, I don't believe you have ever had to endure the ridicule and scorn that comes along with having fallen in love with a commoner."

Tabitha opened her mouth to speak, but then decided to keep silent. No one except those closest to her knew about her feelings for Saito.

She found herself wondering how he was faring as the King of Tristain.

Auric did not notice any of this, instead he continued his narrative.

"It was then that I realized a fundamental truth about what it was to be a noble in Halkeginia."

"You can love the mantle Your Majesty, but it will never love you in return."

The four continued walking in uncomfortable silence; no one was quite sure what to say to the other.

After a time they came upon a locked door. It was a superbly made door which bore a heavy metal dead bolt locking mechanism.

Auric examined the door and the lock carefully, until he determined that they would take too long to burn through with his fire magic.

The door was of such thickness that his willpower would give out before the metal would.

Auric explained as much to the Queen.

Tabitha, however, had no interest in turning back.

"Stand back" she said to the other three.

She pointed her staff at the door's lock. She meant to punch the lock out with brute force.

_Javelin!_

Nothing happened.

Tabitha turned to Beckett with furious eyes.

"I assure you Your Majesty this isn't my doing. Per Robert's instructions I left the suppression pendent in Albion."

Tabitha turned back toward the heavy door and pointed her staff once more.

Concentrating harder this time, she whispered her spell again.

_Javelin!_

Again nothing happened.

But after several moments, the end of Tabitha's staff began to glow a bright blue. A soft crackling could be heard as the ice projectile slowly formed at the end of the staff.

The ice javelin shot toward the door at high speed, punching out the metal door's lock with a loud _Chunk!_

Beckett, Auric, and Galen stared at the steaming chunk of ice sticking out of the spot where the lock and key hole used to be.

Auric then tugged on the door with all of his might.

It still would not budge.

"Alright, it would appear that this task will require a combined effort."

All four started toward the door.

Suddenly, the ice javelin exploded.

A loud _BOOM _reverberated throughout the enclosed sewer passage. The force of the blast knocked Tabitha and the rest of the resistance members several mails back down the passageway.

Tabitha landed flat on her back in the muck filled water.

The Queen sat up, moving her now sewage soaked hair out of her eyes.

She could not believe what she saw.

The heavy metal door was crumpled and blown completely off its hinges, landing a short distance farther up the passage way.

Galen stood up flinging the muck from his sleeves and pant legs.

"What the hell was that?"

Tabitha shrugged as she stared wide eyed into space. She examined her staff, trying to come up with some explanation as to why her magic was beginning to malfunction.

"Is everyone still intact?" asked Auric.

"I believe so" replied Beckett who was also wringing the sewage out of his sleeves.

The three resistance members turned to look at Tabitha.

"Well?" inquired Auric.

Tabitha stood up and shook her head.

"Never happened before."

All four of them turned to examine what remained of the metal door.

"Well whatever that was, it seems that it was more helpful than anything" Said Beckett.

"Yes, but next time it may not be."

Auric then turned to face Tabitha.

"Your Majesty perhaps you should refrain from using magic for the time being."

Tabitha slowly nodded in agreement.

Auric turned around to face everyone else.

"Well, its best that we press on. The exit should be just ahead."

"Even on horseback it will take at least until dawn to reach Versailles."

"True Beckett, but when we get there we'll have quite the surprise for our friend the Bishop." Auric said while nodding in the direction of the Queen.

The four continued to slog through the sewage, pressing onward.

No one in the group knew quite what to expect when the Queen revealed herself to Viscido and the rest of Gallia.

One thing however was quite certain.

It was bound to be an interesting encounter.

**Scene Break**

The next morning, Kirche and Fouquet stood outside _The Naughty Prince Casino _waiting for the other half of their crew to arrive. After a few moments Guiche and Montmorency finally pushed their way through the door to join the rest.

The two women were completely unable to suppress their grins at the sight of them.

"All made up now?" asked Fouquet.

Kirche added, "You know, the two of you should really be more considerate of your neighbors. At least try to keep the noise down."

Montmorency blushed a deep crimson that spread all over her body.

Guiche on the other hand grinned stupidly.

Montmorency answered Guiche's grin with a kick to the shin.

"Those two are hopeless" Kirche said.

"So where to now?" She asked Fouquet.

"To the palace, rumor has it there is going to be yet another execution this morning."

**Scene Break**

Julio Chesare woke to the sounds of his cell door being opened.

He was still leaning against the bars of his cell's wall, hands still wrapped around the Queen Mother.

A guard stepped through the door.

"It's time" he said through his toothy grin.

Suddenly Julio saw the door to the Queen Mother's cell swing open as well.

Apparently it was time for her as well.

Julio immediately decked the guard in his cell, dropping him to the stone floor in one blow. He rushed out of his cell and into the waiting phalanx of a dozen more guards.

As well as the tips of just as many swords.

Another guard pulled the Queen Mother out of her cell. She looked at Julio.

"It's alright Julio." She said softly. "I am going to be with my daughter."

"Yeah" said the guard commander. "You'll all be having one big happy reunion soon."

Once they were shackled by their wrists, Julio and the Queen Mother were led out into the courtyard.

The crowds had gathered, and the machine waited.

**Scene Break**

The gathered crowd at the Palace of Versailles was the largest that an execution had seen in a long while. It was an understandable development when one considered the "Guest of Honor" at the previous one.

Kirche, Fouquet Guiche and Montmorency stood at the edge of the crowd, which numbered well into the thousands. The crowd's thickness was such that they could not even gain entrance into the courtyard, let alone actually see the events transpiring there.

Suddenly the four spotted a raised wooden platform held up by some scaffolding at the edge of one of the shops lining the road leading up to the palace. Several people had used it to get to the roof in order to gain a better view. Many others clung to the scaffolding itself.

Fouquet took a moment to make an observation.

We climb with our arms and legs only. No levitation spells. If we give away our true nature as mages, this crowd will likely tear us apart, understand?"

They all nodded and set about climbing the scaffolding to get to the shop's roof.

**Scene Break**

Auric, Beckett, Galen and Tabitha walked slowly among the crowd outside the palace. They too were having difficulty seeing what was happening in the courtyard.

Auric turned to the others and began issuing orders.

"The crowd is too thick; we will have to find another way in. Beckett, go with Galen and start scouting the Palace for another way in, a servant's entrance or something. I'll stay with Queen Charlotte until you return. We'll meet at the water fountain near the courtyard entrance.

Suddenly Beckett's face turned pale.

"She's gone!"

"What?"

Auric looked around franticly for the short Queen.

Tabitha had apparently run out of patience. She was going to take the direct approach.

"Idiot! Gallia isn't going to fare any better if that stupid girl gets herself killed!"

"Find Her!"

"How?" asked Galen gesturing toward the massive crowd.

Auric surveyed the scene. Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands had descended on the Palace to watch the latest execution. Auric's mouth dropped at the sight of so many people.

Galen was right, they'll never find Charlotte now, not in this mess.

Auric had never felt so helpless. All the planning, the bombs, and the ambushes had all been for the purpose of giving Gallia a better destiny than the one that had been playing out lately.

Now the fate of Gallia was no longer his to shape. It had been placed in the small hands of a short, slender girl, who was barely a woman.

And there was nothing Auric or anyone else could do about it.

**Scene Break**

Julio Chesare watched as the door that led from the dungeon to the courtyard swung open with a loud metallic creak. His eyes shut automatically to shield themselves from the blinding sun. The loud and vociferous shouts from the crowd assaulted his eardrums every step he took. As he was led to the machine he passed under the upper balcony. As soon as he cleared the structure he turned his gaze upward.

Bishop Viscido glared back down at him with a triumphant sneer.

A few steps behind him the Queen Mother was also being pushed and led to the machine by the guards. Upon seeing the device up close, she fainted and landed in the mud. Julio turned back to help the poor woman, but was immediately struck from behind by another one of the guards.

"Get moving" he shouted.

Julio and the now unconscious Queen Mother were dragged unceremoniously up the steps to the execution platform.

In moments Julio found himself staring down at the head basket for the second time.

While strapped to the board with his head secured by the frame, Julio shifted his weight slightly.

_If I'm going to die, I might as well die comfortable._

The hooded executioner once again unfolded the Bill of Execution and read the charges.

As the charges were read, Julio stared downward, contemplating his end. He was certain that there would be no reprieve this time. No one was coming to save him, and the Bishop had no reason to keep him alive any longer. In fact, the Bishop had every incentive to make sure Julio died, lest the former Void familiar decide to avenge his lover's death by removing the Bishop's own head.

The executioner finished and rolled up the Bill of Execution.

He looked up to the Bishop who nodded his head.

Julio once again closed his eyes and awaited the end.

The executioner pressed the blade release.

_Swish!_

The blade dropped. In a mere seven tenths of a second, Julio Chesare would die.

_Ping!_

Julio slowly opened his eyes.

He was surprised to find his head still attached. He also could feel something cold on the back of his neck.

_Cold like ice_

Sudden movement caught the left side of Julio's peripheral vision.

The executioner fell to the platform on his back, his body lying next to Julio. Through his hood Julio could see the lifeless expression in the man's eyes.

Julio could also see the ice javelin sticking out of the executioner's chest.

He concluded that the cold sensation on the back of his neck was from another ice projectile that came between his neck and the blade.

Julio looked up as much as his restrained head would allow. His eyes struggled to focus on the hooded figure in front of him.

The figure pulled back the hood, revealing a face to all.

Julio strained his eyes as the figure slowly came into focus.

He saw…. He saw….

**Scene Break**

"Tabitha!"

Kirche exclaimed with outstretched hands at the sight of her friend.

Directly across the roof of the shop where the four mages kept watch over the courtyard was a wall as well as several mage knights stationed along the wall's top. The knights were watching the crowd on the shop roof which was directly across from them. At the collective gasp from the crowd caused by Tabitha's sudden revelation, all the knights turned around and faced the courtyard. The Queen was now surrounded by hostiles.

Kirche turned to Fouquet.

"Raise the Golem! I want that wall down NOW!"

**Scene Break**

"Queen Charlotte."

Bishop Viscido stood up from his seat on the upper balcony.

Tabitha looked up at the Bishop with killing intent.

"This ends now." She said.

"Brave words Your Majesty. However….."

The Bishop raised his right hand, and three dozen Romalian Mage Knights pointed their wand canes at the Queen.

"…..the last I heard, you were dead, and if I'm not mistaken….."

The Bishop smiled in pure malevolence.

"….the dead do not speak."

The Bishop's hand dropped, and the Knights on the balcony and wall chanted.

_Air Needle_

Tabitha's staff glowed bright white just as three dozen air, fire, and ice arrows began streaking toward her.

Her staff whirling, Tabitha parried and dodged the arrows. Then Tabitha chanted again, leapt and spun around in a complete circle.

Every one of the Mage Knights was slammed into the wall behind them. Or those posted on the outer wall was simply knocked off.

Three dozen Knights were felled by the pressure wave from Tabitha's 360 degree _Air Hammer_.

The Bishop quickly got back to his feet and picked up one of the unconscious Knight's wand cane.

Tabitha saw the Bishop turn to flee the scene. She ran towards the balcony, planted her staff, and vaulted up into the air. No sooner had her feet left the ground than a conjured mini tornado caught Tabitha in mid-air, lifted her up and deposited her on the Bishop's balcony.

Tabitha faced the Bishop.

_BOOM!_

Both turned their heads to see the Palace's outer wall collapse and a giant golem fill the hole.

Kirche came running into the courtyard through the hole.

"Tabitha!"

Kriche was a woman possessed. For all these many months, she believed that her best friend, the girl she loved like a sister was dead. Now that Tabitha had returned, Kirche resolved that nothing, _nothing _was going to take her away again. She poured all the magic she could into attacking the guards that were trying to come to the Bishop's aid.

Fouquet's golem stepped the rest of the way into the courtyard. The crowd panicked and scattered, screaming as they climbed over each other, desperately trying to get out of the combatant's way.

The golem began slamming its fists into the ground, knocking the responding mage knights off balance.

Guiche and Montmorency followed the golem into the courtyard. Guiche raised his valkyries and commanded them to attack the knights.

Montmorency began shooting cutting jets of water at them.

In the center of all this was poor Julio, still strapped in the machine, and unable to see what was going on. Kriche ascended the stairs to the platform and attended to the just waking up Queen Mother.

She screamed when she caught sight of all the chaos around her.

"WHAT IS GOING ON?"

Kirche hugged her.

"Charlotte is here. She's fighting the Bishop now."

The Queen Mother grasped Kirche's shoulder.

"My Charlotte is here?"

"Yes, and she's come to save all of you."

The Queen Mother sighed.

"Foolish girl, I knew she wouldn't stay away."

Kirche then turned her attention to Julio. In a few moments she had him out of the machine.

Julio nodded his thanks and leapt to the ground and searched.

It did not take him long to find what he was looking for: a discarded sword.

Julio may no longer be the _Mind of God _but he was still one of the greatest swordsmen in Halkeginia.

Kirche and the Queen Mother left the platform as more guards poured into the courtyard through the hole left by Fouquet's golem.

"Oh my," the Queen Mother said. "You'd better let me have one of those." She said, gesturing toward one the guard's fallen wands.

Then Kirche, Julio, Guiche, Montmorency, the Queen Mother, and Fouquet from atop her golem turned to face the onslaught of Romalian Knights. Using the golem as cover, they charged toward the small army of knights come to greet them.

The fight was on.

**Scene Break**

Tabitha turned from the commotion just in time to see Bishop Viscido wave at her and leap off the balcony to levitate himself up onto the roof.

The balcony that ringed the Palace Courtyard had no walls. It was an open balcony with a roof. Instead of walls a series of columns supported arches, which in turn supported the roof.

Tabitha leapt over a railing and levitated herself to join Viscido on the roof.

No sooner did she land than Viscido launch a blast of wind aimed at knocking her off the roof.

Tabitha dodged and countered with _Windy Icicle._

As the barrage of projectiles streaked toward the Bishop, he conjured a wind wedge and parted the barrage down the center, guiding the projectiles around and past him.

"Impressive Charlotte. You truly live up to your runic name of _The Snowstorm."_

_Air Needle_

Tabitha's staff glowed white again.

She brought the staff up and meant to cleave the Bishop in two. However he easily countered with his wand cane, also glowing from his own _Air Needle._

Again, and again staff and wand cane clashed together, each collision throwing off white hot sparks.

The Bishop went on the offensive, pressing his attack and driving Tabitha back toward the edge of the roof.

Whirling her instrument like a quarter staff, Tabitha blocked and parried each of the Bishop's attacks, but the blows were of such force that she was continually driven back.

Her foot reached the edge of the roof.

Viscido launched one last attack.

Bringing his cane down, he forced Tabitha to block yet again, and this time he was able to push her off the roof. .

However, Tabatha was able to use the crooked end of her staff to hook the Bishop by the shoulder and bring him with her. Both combatants plunged toward the courtyard below

Meanwhile, in the courtyard, the battle between the mages, and the knights, had ground to a halt. All eyes were now focused on the duel between Charlotte and Viscido.

Kirche screamed in horror as she watched her friend fall towards the ground.

_CHOOM!_

Suddenly Tabitha and the Bishop distorted and disappeared before hitting the ground.

_CHOOM!_

Kirche spotted them as they appeared a dozen mails or so above the main dome of the Palace.

Both fell to the dome and began to roll and slide off.

Tabatha caught the dome's railing edge before plunging to the lower roof, where the battle started. Only now she was so high up that a fall down to the balcony roof would almost certainly be fatal.

Tabitha spied her staff stuck in the railing a few mails away. Reaching hand over hand, she slowly inched her way horizontally in the direction of the staff.

Suddenly from the corner of her eye Tabitha saw Viscido moving toward her.

Unlike Tabitha, he had managed to hold on to his wand cane, and was now levitating over to her.

He was coming closer and closer.

And the closer he got, the wider his smile became.

Tabitha quickened her pace. She could almost reach her staff.

But now Viscido was almost on top of her. He swung his wand cane down, and Tabitha was forced to let go.

The Queen and her staff fell.

With the wind rushing in her face, Tabitha strained to reach her staff. Her fingertips brushed against it.

She had mere seconds to impact.

Suddenly Tabitha was able to grip the tip of her staff.

_Levitation!_

Tabitha's momentum ceased a mere six inches from the balcony roof.

She stood up only to see the Bishop diving toward her. He raised his glowing wand cane, meaning to cleave the Queen's skull in two.

Tabitha pointed her staff.

_Javelin!_

Nothing happened.

_Windy Icicle!_

Again, nothing happened.

Tabitha began to panic.

_No! Not now!_

Her magic was still malfunctioning, and she could not understand why.

The Bishop drew closer. Soon Tabitha could not get out of the way fast enough.

She tried to side step, and suddenly the scenery around her became a blur. She knew she was running, but everything else around her stopped and blended together. She stopped running and the world returned to normal. She almost ran off the end of the balcony roof, she spread her arms out to keep her balance as she teetered on the edge. She was confused.

_How did I move so fast?_

Viscido's wand cane hit empty space. He watched as Queen Charlotte became a fast moving streak of light blue. Recovering, he spotted Charlotte at the opposite edge of the roof.

_How did she get there so fast?_

The pieces suddenly clicked.

In a sudden burst of insight Viscido understood why this battle with Charlotte had taken such a bizarre turn. The sudden _Teleportation_ while they were falling to the courtyard, and now Charlotte's unexpected _Acceleration_.

It all made sense.

Josette was dead, and excluding the Queen Mother who was only Gallian Royalty by marriage, Charlotte was the absolute last of Gallia's Royal bloodline.

_Which could only mean…._

Viscido turned to face Charlotte once more.

She pointed her staff and chanted _Javelin._

This time the spell worked, however when the projectile reached the halfway point between the two combatants, the hunk of ice exploded.

The blast knocked Viscido off of his feet. He landed on his back dazed. His wand cane rolled off the edge of the roof to the ground below.

He opened his eyes only to find Charlotte standing over him.

Ice crystals crackled and swirled as she formed another _Javelin._

"Now" she seethed while slightly out of breath. "You will pay for killing my sister! You will pay for what you've done to my people!"

"Of course Your Majesty, revenge is your right, however there is something you must know first."

A blast of wind knocked Tabitha back to the other end of the balcony roof.

Somehow Viscido had managed to slip his hand in his robes and grab a concealed wand.

Moving quickly, before the Queen could regain her senses, Viscido pounced on Tabitha's small form. His hands closed around her neck, choking off her air.

Tabitha looked up at the Bishop as he proceeded to choke the life out of her. She could see the gleeful hate in his eyes; she could feel his breath on her face.

Viscido began to taunt her.

"Learning some new Void tricks are we? Using the powers your uncle used to murder your father, or have you just been spending too much time with that Tristainian Void Mage? Has she taught you some new tricks too? Just like that commoner dog she married?"

Despite running out of air, Tabitha smiled at her enemy.

"That's not all she taught me."

Tabitha quickly brought her knee up and drove it directly into Viscido's crotch.

His eyes grew wide with pain and shock. Tabitha felt his grip on her throat loosen.

Moving quickly, she brought both her feet up and under the Bishop's torso. She drove both feet in and pushed Viscido up and over the edge of the roof.

He grabbed Tabitha with both hands at the last second and took her with him.

Once again falling toward their deaths, Tabitha remembered what Viscido said about learning new Void tricks.

She remembered how they had suddenly gone from almost falling to the courtyard to landing high up on the palace dome.

Tabitha closed her eyes and formed a clear picture of where she wanted to be in her mind.

_CHOOM!_

_Slam!_

They landed in the courtyard.

Tabitha had _Teleported_ herself and Viscido back to where it all started.

She looked down.

She was on top of Viscido, her knees in his chest. He was squirming in agony.

Apparently the impact broke a few ribs.

Tabitha got off of the Bishop. She looked around at the assembled crowd. Kirche, Guiche, Fouquet, Montmorency, Auric, Beckett, Galen, and Julio stood among a pile of dead or incapacitated Romalian Mage Knights.

Also standing among her friends, was her mother. Everyone ran to embrace the Queen at once.

Everyone, except Fouquet.

"What do we do with him?" She asked.

Tabitha looked around at all the people gathered in the now destroyed Palace Courtyard. Suddenly every single person got on one knee. The people knelt before their Queen.

She looked back to Viscido.

She tried to think of Saito, and what he would do in this situation. She knew that he would want her to be merciful. But then she had a different type of thought.

_What if someone harmed Louise? What if Viscido had made good on his threat to kill her?_

Just like he had killed Tabitha's sister, and tried to kill her Mother.

_What would Saito do then?_

She looked at Auric and the other resistance members.

"Feed him to the machine."

With a roar the crowd pounced on the Bishop. Auric grabbed Viscido and hoisted him up to the death machine that he had used to kill so many of Gallia's people, almost all of them innocent.

Beckett, Galen, and Auric strapped the Romalian Archbishop into the device's waiting embrace.

Tabitha climbed the steps to the balcony and assumed Viscido's position at the front.

She sat down in his chair, and closed her eyes.

She asked for forgiveness.

But it was not from God that she sought absolution.

_Forgive me Saito_

Auric pressed the blade release.

_Swish!_

The crowd roared as Viscido's head dropped into the basket.

Tabitha watched as the Bishop's severed head was removed from the basket, and paraded around the courtyard on a spike.

Again she asked the only man she has ever loved to forgive her.

_Forgive me._

_I could not be merciful._

She stood up and left to visit her sister's grave.

_Not today._

**Scene Break**

That evening after a tearful reunion with Kirche, and her familiar, who was found chained up in that special cell, Tabitha stood once again on the balcony overlooking the hated machine that had brought so much misery to her Kingdom.

Tabitha had every reason to be happy. Viscido was dead, her sister was avenged, and she was Queen once more.

Yet she remembered what Robert had said about the future of the mages, and the truth about Saito's world.

That the mages would be brought to extinction, and that Saito's people would do it.

She contemplated the killing device in the courtyard. The device that was responsible for so much misery.

It had supposedly come from Saito's world.

Tabitha shook her head. Saito was so selfless and heroic, and yet his people seemed more and more to be the dangerous, bloodthirsty savages that Robert had warned them to be.

Suddenly Tabitha remembered what Viscido had said about learning Void powers.

She remembered her magic would malfunction, and that she gained strange abilities during her battle with Viscido.

Tabitha held her staff in her hands. She contemplated it and wondered what strange, new abilities would also manifest within her.

Tabitha was the last of the Royal Family. With the exception of her mother, who was royalty by marriage only, Tabitha had no more blood relatives.

Murder and politics had taken them all.

_But if I'm the last, does that also mean that I'm…_

She pointed her staff directly at the machine. Concentrating intensely, Tabitha closed her eyes.

She whispered an incantation, one that she had heard a close friend utter many times.

_Explosion!_

With a loud _Boom, _the beheading machine exploded in a shower of wood and metal parts.

At last the nightmare was over.

But more trouble lay ahead.

_The future was still bleak._

They were coming, Robert had warned.

They were coming, and they would bring fearsome technology with them.

They would conquer all of Halkeginia.

And the mages would be powerless to stop them.


	16. 13 The Message in the Light

Author's notes: Ok, were coming down to it now. After this chapter, only two more and an epilogue, and then we start Book 2.

Things are calming down at work, so now I should have time to make a final push to get these last few chapters done. I want to have this book finished in two weeks!

Enjoy and don't forget to review.

**Begin Story**

Romalia, also known as the Holy Empire, was an ancient city state on the Ausonia Peninsula directly south of the Kingdom of Gallia. Romalia was founded by St. Forsythe, a disciple of Brimir who also had the distinction of being the Founder's grave keeper, as well as the first Pope of the Brimiric faith.

Despite being substantially weaker militarily than the other Halkeginian Kingdoms, Romalia was able to use its status as both the final resting place of Brimir, and the seat of the Pope to leverage considerable political power for itself. Such was the power of the papal office, that the will of Romalia was considered supreme above all others in Halkeginia.

The Pope could overrule kings.

The Pope could destroy kings as well.

After all, who would dare speak out against the anointed voice of God?

It was this special distinction that enabled Romalia to acquire more and more territory over the centuries as well as annex the surrounding city states until it eventually gained the status of an empire.

While Romalian Mage Knights were routinely sent to other kingdoms to enforce the Pope's will, there were strangely few knights within the Romalian capital itself. Being the home of Brimir's final resting place gave the capital the special standing of being sacred ground. No weapons of any kind were allowed within the capital walls.

No one was to be armed, with one exception.

The Romalian Templar Knights Squad.

Despite being few in number within the capital, the Templar Squad was comprised of the finest Knights in all of Halkeginia.

They were the elite of the elite.

Such was their reputation, that no one dared cause any trouble within the capital of Romalia.

For the privilege of judging one's crimes may be reserved for God, but the Templar Squad would ensure a transgressor's appearance at said judgment occurred as swiftly as possible.

It would seem that God took a dim view of sinners within the walls of Romalia.

It was to that end that the Pope's new policy of conducting heresy inquiries and meting out quick and severe punishments was born.

Though done with significantly less zeal and enthusiasm than Bishop Viscido's Gallia policies, any commoners found preaching or organizing against the nobility or the Church were dealt with expeditiously.

As in the other Halkeginian Kingdoms, executions were public events drawing large attendance. The thinking being that such spectacles would frighten the populace into obedience. And in Romalia, the show of force actually worked. Commoners were more than willing to speak out against their noble oppressors, but few were willing to defy God himself.

So while the political systems of Albion, Gallia, and Germania wilted under the constant pressure of rebelling peasants, Romalia by contrast was rather tranquil. One could enjoy a quiet walk down its elegant streets and take in the aesthetically pleasing architecture, or its famous monuments.

All one had to do was check your weapons and your sins at the gate.

**Scene Break**

"Name!" barked the Romalian guard.

"Thaddeus Stevens."

"Purpose for your visit."

"Pilgrimage to the Founder's resting place."

"And your companion?"

"This is my wife Ann."

The Romalian guard turned to eye the voluptuous woman Mr. Stevens had brought with him. He tried to be subtle as his eyes traced every curve of the woman's body.

_Lucky Commoner._

"Weapons are strictly forbidden within the capital walls, if you are carrying any on your person you must declare them now."

The guard gave Mr. Stevens a malicious smile.

"If you are caught possessing weapons inside, the penalties are quite severe."

Mr. Stevens maintained his neutral expression.

"Of course." He said cheerily as he pulled a sword from his hip, the weapon still in its scabbard.

"Thank You" said the guard.

He then turned to Ann.

"Do you have any weapons to declare?"

"N-n-n-no sir" she replied meekly.

He continued staring at her.

_Damn she's gorgeous._

_And yet she is also familiar._

"Have you been here before?"

"N-n-no sir. This is my first visit to Romalia."

The guard continued to eye Mrs. Stevens. He could swear he had seen her before somewhere. Her face was so familiar.

He just couldn't quite place her.

The guard considered searching her for concealed weapons. He could not deny that it would most certainly be pleasurable duty.

But putting his hands on even a beauty such as this was not worth the trouble of having the Romalian priests roaming the streets witnessing and then questioning his piety.

He placed his suspicions aside and let them pass.

"Welcome to Romalia" the guard said finally.

He signaled the other guards to open the gate.

Mr. and Mrs. Stevens started toward the gate, when suddenly the guard blocked their path once more.

"Enjoy your stay, but beware. This is the city of God himself. Sins of any kind will be punished harshly."

He drew himself to his full height and leaned over the two travelers.

"You would do well to remember that commoners."

"Yes M' Lord" said Mr. Stevens with a nod.

After eyeing the couple for a few more moments, he finally let them pass.

"Can you believe the way that uncouth simpleton was looking at me?" Henrietta asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" asked Robert in reply.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"You are known far and wide as _The Flower of Tristain. _You honestly can't be surprised when other men stare at you."

Henrietta stopped and stared down at her own body to examine herself. She was wearing a simple commoners dress made of a plain grey fabric. She ran her hands up and down her body.

Even while wearing a simple garment as this, Henrietta's womanly charms radiated through.

Robert gave her a matter of fact expression.

"You are quite beautiful Your Majesty, and men notice."

"Well I appreciate the compliment, crude as it was. And don't address me so formally. We are supposed to be in disguise."

"My apologies _Ann" _Robert said with a smirk.

"Apology accepted, _Thaddeus_" Henrietta said while returning his smile.

"By the way" Henrietta continued, as they resumed their walk through the crowded streets. "How did you manage to come up with such an odd name?"

"I didn't. Thaddeus Stevens is a historical figure from Saito's world"

"Really, who was he?"

"He was a government official during a period in Earth's history when one person could own another as property."

"Slavery? Saito's people engaged in slavery?"

"It was a long time ago. Thaddeus Stevens was part of the movement to abolish the practice. He died three years after witnessing the success of his efforts."

Henrietta bit her lower lip. The more she learned about Saito's world, the more uncomfortable she became.

They came upon a crowd of people in one of Romalia's town squares.

An execution was taking place.

Henrietta and Robert watched as the condemned man was led up the platform to the beheading machine.

She covered her face with her hands as the man's head dropped into the basket.

"Dear God" she cried. "What manner of monster could create such a thing?"

"It's another weapon from Saito's world."

Henrietta looked up.

"What?"

"It's called the guillotine."

Henrietta could take no more. She had come to the conclusion that Saito was only decent person to come from a world of evil, despicable barbarians.

Robert gently held her shoulders. "Saito's people are extremely dangerous, but they are not all evil."

The Queen looked up at Robert. "You tell me this, and yet over and over I am confronted with evidence to the contrary. Everything they create is used to destroy."

"There are good people on Saito's world as well as bad ones. They are, in reality little different than those found here on Halkeginia."

"Except they possess the means to destroy every one of us" countered Henrietta.

Robert sighed quietly, and placing his hand beneath Henrietta's chin, he gently turned her face toward his.

"How about this: the things you see are a consequence of the Founder's Void magic."

Henrietta looked at Robert puzzled.

"The Founder cast a spell to pull weapons from Saito's world to use against the elves. That is why the only artifacts found here are weapons, rather than other, more ordinary items."

Henrietta continued biting her lip. She wasn't sure how to feel about Saito at the moment. Yes, he did save not only her, but all of Halkeginia from disaster, and she still considered herself to be very much in love with him, but still, she could not help but feel a little angry that he had not told her the truth about his world.

_Why didn't he trust them with the truth?_

_And more importantly why didn't he trust her?_

She cast her eyes downward. Henrietta thought back to when, shortly after Louise had returned from Saito's world, they had talked for hours about all the miraculous wonders that Saito's people had accomplished. Carriages that moved without horses, theaters that showed moving pictures, and all manner of sweets and pastries the likes of which even the wealthiest nobles had never enjoyed.

Saito's world was a world of miracles.

Turns out that it was also a world of death and destruction, a place where slaughter can occur on a scale well beyond even King Joseph's ambitions.

"_Hear Ye!"_

"_Hear Ye!"_

Henrietta and Robert turned towards the direction of the intrusion.

A small crowd had begun to gather around a crier.

"_The honorable Bishop Viscido has been murdered by none other than Queen Charlotte of Gallia!"_

"_Queen Charlotte has returned to Gallia and killed the Bishop in retaliation for her sister Queen Josette's own execution for betraying the Word of God! Our beloved Holiness, Pope Artimus the 19__th__, has declared that Charlotte will answer for this crime! Even now he prepares his troops to march on Gallia and deliver God's justice to the traitorous Queen!"_

Murmurs of surprise began to ripple through the crowd.

"Queen Charlotte? I thought she was dead."

"That's what I heard, her and Queen Henrietta of Tristain."

"If Charlotte is alive, then Henrietta is too?"

"Are they allies?"

"Tristain and Gallia are plotting against the Pope!"

Henrietta listened to the crowds panicked ramblings and shook her head.

"Come on" Robert said while tugging on Henrietta's sleeve. "Let's find a room to stay in while we wait."

"Wait for what?" Henrietta asked.

"For Saito to get here."

"What? Saito's coming here?"

"You heard the crier, Charlotte has taken Gallia back. That means that she'll be giving Saito my message soon."

"That's when all hell is going to break loose."

**Scene Break**

Tabitha's hair whipped back and forth under the dull grey skies of Gallia.

A band played a solemn dirge as a royal procession with wands slowly lowered the coffin into the ground.

Queen Josette was finally laid to rest on the grounds of the Versailles Palace Garden.

In the week that had passed since her harrowing duel with Bishop Viscido on the roof of the Royal Palace, Tabitha had been busy.

Busy reconstituting the government, the army, and driving out the remaining Romalian forces that had not been killed or otherwise defeated by the rioting masses that took to the streets in the wake of her sister Josette's execution.

And yet despite such a heavy agenda, Tabitha's thoughts were never far from her sister. Josette was the sister that Tabitha barely knew. When Tabitha and Josette were born, the policy of the Kingdom was that in the event that twins were born to the Royal family, one of them must be killed to prevent a power struggle from harming the throne. But the Queen Mother would not allow any of her children to be killed, so she had baby Josette sent to a convent to be hidden and kept safe from Gallia's political intrigue and instability. During the height of the latest crusade, Josette was tapped by the Romalian government to usurp Tabitha's position as Queen. Her purpose was to impersonate Tabitha and use her authority as Gallia's monarch to advance the Pope's agenda for Halkeginia.

Later when the scheme was uncovered and Tabitha was freed from her Romalian captors, she forgave her sister and allowed her to continue to live in Gallia. Later when both Tabitha and Henrietta were kidnapped by Robert de Sable and thought dead, Josette was used as a legitimate replacement for Tabitha.

And yet thanks to the power hungry Bishop Viscido, Josette too has fallen victim to the curse of the Gallian Royal family: to be murdered by others in the pursuit of political power.

Tabitha placed the blame for her sister's death squarely on the Brimiric Church. That was the reason Josette was not being placed in the Royal Crypt in Gallia's Cathedral.

Tabitha would not allow her sister to be interred in a memorial to those arrogant clergymen who had murdered her.

As the earth mages began to cover Josette's casket, Tabitha clenched her fists and shook with rage.

Though she had killed Viscido, Tabitha's need for vengeance had not been sated. In Tabitha's eyes, the corrupt Church that had enabled the Bishop was just as culpable.

A penance _must _be exacted.

But how?

Due to the Bishop's effort to exert total control over the Kingdom, Gallia no longer had a standing army. The Gallian Knights had been disbanded, and all government officials had been driven from their posts in favor of the Bishop's cronies.

Re-staffing the government and reforming the Knights will take time, possibly months and in the mean time Gallia will be an easy target for any aggressor nation.

Gallia was ripe for an invasion.

In fact the Kingdom's only saving grace at the moment was that both Albion and Germania were exhausted from the commoner rebellion that had been raging in those kingdoms for months.

And Tristain?

Tabitha looked to her left. Standing a short distance away was two of the few people that Tabitha trusted completely: Saito and Louise, the King and Queen of Tristain, the only kingdom in Halkeginia to come through the chaos of the rebellion and the subsequent backlash from the Church relatively unscathed.

Tabitha eyed the monarch couple with great interest.

_Perhaps they could help Tabitha achieve the satisfaction that her sister's death demanded._

Tabitha's desire to avenge Josette's death notwithstanding, Romalia was a genuine threat all on its own.

Under normal circumstances, Romalia could not hope to match the military capabilities of other Halkeginian nations, its status as the center of the Brimiric faith made such expenditures unnecessary.

Now with Gallia spent and Albion and Germania teetering on the edge of political collapse, Romalia and its small army were now in fact the largest military force in Halkeginia. The only country that could hope to match them was tiny Tristain.

Tabitha again cast a sideways glance at Saito and Louise.

Those two could be Gallia's only hope of survival.

Suddenly Tabitha's mind returned to the present. Cardinal Mazarin, who was just finishing his blessing, would be wrapping up the memorial service soon.

Tabitha would no doubt be peppered with questions by the Tristainian Monarchs. She wondered just how much she should reveal about her time with Robert.

Should she tell them about Robert being from the future?

Should she tell Saito that his people were destined to destroy the mages and help bring about the possible end of the Universe?

Her head was swimming with these questions and more when Tabitha realized that she had something to give Saito. Something that right at this moment was hidden in Tabitha's bed chamber.

It was the object that had drawn pictures with light.

Robert said that it was a message for Saito.

She couldn't help but wonder what that message contained.

Suddenly, Tabitha found that everyone was staring at her. Apparently Mazarin had finished speaking, and now the people were waiting for Tabitha to say something and close the service.

Mazarin stepped away from the pile of dirt that now covered Josette's casket, and nodded to Tabitha.

Tabitha approached the head of her sister's grave and began to speak.

"Thank you all for being here today to say goodbye to my sister."

"Josette-"

Tabitha stopped. Her voice was beginning to crack, her vision was blurring from the tears welling up in her eyes.

Feelings that Tabitha had been holding back for so long had finally bust forth. Like a mighty river that had at last escaped a dam's confinement, a torrent of emotions washed over her.

All the months preceding events: being kidnapped by Robert, the future extinction of her race the Markey, the utter decimation of her Kingdom, and now the death of her sister, all collided with explosive force within her.

It was more than Tabitha's tiny frame could bear.

And now there was yet another burden to add to the already substantial weight on her small shoulders.

Tabitha was now the Void Mage of Gallia.

After watching Louise shoulder this burden, Tabitha had become certain that being a Void user was more of a curse than a blessing.

It was definitely not something she would seek for herself.

And yet the burden was now hers, and she would bear it for the rest of her days.

Tabitha sank to her knees; her left hand gripped her staff while she supported herself.

She felt a hand land gently on her right shoulder, and she looked up. Through her tear swollen eyes, Tabitha saw Kirche. She had her own hand out offering support.

After being helped back to her feet, Tabitha let Kirche lead her a few steps back to her spot in the reception line, but she stopped suddenly.

_This is not a time for the Queen to appear weak._

_Gallia needs my strength now more than ever._

Tabitha walked back to the front of her sister's grave.

She faced the crowd, the faces of which belonged to both nobles and commoners.

The strain of rebellion and oppression wore heavily upon them.

After considering the traumatized state of her people, Tabitha began to speak.

"We are not beaten." She began softly.

"Our beloved Gallia has been raped, plundered and humiliated by this corruption from Romalia, but we have not been beaten."

"Our friends, and families, have been brutalized, tortured, and murdered, but we are not beaten."

Tabitha, who had gotten to know firsthand the machinations and manipulative tactics employed by the Church when they manipulated Josette into stealing her throne, reserved the worst of her fury for the theocrats of Romalia.

"Those who would cower behind the writings of our Founder to justify their evil will soon find themselves standing before God, and accounting for their sins! There will be no hiding! No dealing, no negotiating! They, who have spilled our blood" she then pointed to Josette's grave, "SPILLED MY BLOOD!"

Kirche gasped and shrank back a little. She had never seen Tabitha so enraged, so willing to commit to vengeance.

Saito and Louise however had, when she confronted King Joseph after he had laid waste to Aquileia.

"Blood demands blood! And it is blood that will be paid!"

"We will go to Romalia, and see this Pope! We will collect our payment, not as nobles, or as commoners, but as Gallians! And only when those cowards have been made to understand that not only did they fail to break us, but that is we who in fact have broken them, will we then send them to God, where they may explain their crimes to Him!"

"Vive Gallia!"

"_Vive Gallia!"_

The crowd cheered with an enthusiasm not heard in Gallia for a long time. Wand and sword both held up high in defiance of a common enemy.

In seeing such a scene before her, Tabitha had never been more proud to be Gallia's Queen, than she was at this moment.

But to her friends, Kirche, Saito, Louise, and even Irukkuku, her familiar, Tabitha had never looked more frightening,…. or more dangerous.

**Scene Break**

Seated in the conference room in the Palace Versailles, Tabitha stared quietly at the gathered assemblage.

Seated at the table were none other than a who's who of Tabitha's closest friends and inner circle.

To Tabitha's immediate right was Irukkuku, who of course was Sylpheed the rhyme dragon in human form, at Tabitha's immediate left was her best friend Kirche von Zerbst. Other than being a noble from Germania, Kirche had no official status with the Gallian government, so she being seated right next to the Queen was likely a breach of royal protocol, but none of the gathered officials dared tell her that. Given recent events, there was little chance that any of them could convince her to leave Tabitha's side.

Also present were Saito and Louise, the now famous monarch couple from Tristain, then there was Jean Colbert, who of course provided transportation for the entire Tristain delegation via his steam powered aircraft the _Ostland. _Next to him was Tiffania, the half-elf from Albion who oddly enough was clutching in her hands the elven spirit stone that was given to Saito by Lord Bidashal.

Further down the table there were Montmorency and Guiche de Gramont, as well as Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt, who fidgeted nervously in her seat. Fouquet, who had given up her nobility long ago and embraced the life of thief while living on the fringes of Halkeginian society, was very uncomfortable in the presence of a royal court. Finally, rounding off the group was Cardinal Mazarin, Alexander Dufresne, the android who had saved Saito and Louise from the elven assassin, and of course Auric Grindelwald, leader of the Gallian resistance movement, and Galen Solet, his lieutenant, and lastly Beckett, Robert de Sable's second in command.

And yet there was still one more, a late arrival who strode into the Palace just after the conclusion of Josette's memorial service.

Seated at the far end of the table was Karin the Heavy Wind, who had resumed her guise as the Duchess Valliere.

No one at the table spoke, the right to speak first was reserved for the Queen, and none of those present outranked Tabitha.

Well almost no one.

Just as Tabitha opened her mouth to speak, she was interrupted.

"Where is Princess-sama?"

This was from Queen Louise.

Upon receiving the news that Queen Charlotte was alive and well, a great many questions had swirled in Louise's head, but this was the most urgent.

What had become of Queen Henrietta, her best friend since childhood?

Tabitha simply smiled, stood up, and walked calmly over to where Saito and Louise were seated.

She placed a small, round, flat object with a hole in the center directly in front of Saito.

"From Robert" she said quietly.

Saito picked up the object and looked at it with curiosity. Soon his eyes grew wide, he gasped loudly as he set the object down.

Saito may not have known exactly what this particular object was, but he knew a piece of technology when he saw it.

"This was from Robert?" he asked Tabitha.

Tabitha struggled to remember the objects name.

"He called it a holo… holo…. Holo…gramatic-"

"Holographic projector."

All eyes turned to see who had spoken.

It was Alexander.

"It is a portable holographic projector."

Again Saito examined the object.

"I've never seen one like this before."

"It is because they don't exist yet."

"Huh?"

Saito swallowed hard as his mouth became dry.

"You mean this is from the future?"

"Yes. It is a piece of technology from my time."

Saito was floored. It was bad enough that he had spent the last few years living in a magical fantasy land, now it would seem that his adventures were crossing over into sci-fi territory as well.

Tabitha looked back to Saito.

"Robert says to press your thumb here."

Saito looked to the space on the object that Tabitha indicated. It was a small black plate about the size of a thumb print.

Saito placed his thumb on the spot.

"Ouch!"

He reflexively pulled his hand back and looked at his thumb, a small bead of blood rose from beneath his thumbprint.

He put his thumb in his mouth and started sucking on it.

"I thought it was going to scan a fingerprint!"

Seemingly from nowhere, a flat female voice emerged.

"_DNA analysis complete. Identity confirmed. Saito Hiraga. Beginning playback."_

And just as before in the chapel of Fortress Newcastle, Tabitha watched as the beam of light emerged from the object and formed a picture.

Standing before them in empty space, was an image of Robert de Sable.

"_Hello Saito. I apologize for the abundance of caution in confirming your identity. Fingerprints can be forged."_

Saito, along with the rest of the nobles, sat there slack jawed as the hologram continued to speak.

"_First of all let me assure you that Queen Henrietta is alive and well. By the time you receive this message, we should both already be in Romalia."_

Suddenly the image changed, it went from Robert to a large, black, rectangular object with black dragon wings at the top, the wings pointed inward from both sides of the lid, and runes were carved into its side. All the while the voice of Robert continued on.

"_This is an ancient Void artifact known as the Founder's Blessing. It is an artifact that can transport individuals to any point in time that they wish. This object is how I came to be here in your present day. Yes Saito, I am from the future, about a thousand years to be precise."_

The image changed again, this time to an overview map of the Romalian capital. As Robert continued to narrate, the images rotated to form a three dimensional image of the Romalian Cathedral, and then zoomed in to show rooms underground, and then zoomed further into one chamber in particular.

"_The artifact is located in the main Cathedral directly beneath the papal residence, inside the chamber holding the sarcophagus of Founder Brimir. Henrietta and I are going to break in and remove the object."_

The image of the underground burial chamber was replaced yet again, this time with another overview map of Romalia, except this time it zoomed out to show the wider area around the capital.

"_I want you to take the Tristainian forces as well as the Commoner's Army and_ _use them to engage the main Romalian forces outside the city. This should provide enough of a distraction to give Henrietta and I the time we need to enter the burial chamber, remove the object, and get out of the city."_

"_This object is very dangerous, if it falls into the wrong hands both Halkeginian, and Earth histories could be altered. That is why we are going to remove the object from the Founder's vault and once I have returned home, I want you to destroy it."_

The image of Robert appeared yet again. He looked solemn and concerned. He spoke again in softer, gentler voice.

"_I know you must have many questions for me Saito, and I will be more than happy to answer them once we meet in person, but for now, let me just say that I came here for a very good reason. As I said I will be happy to explain that reason to you when you arrive in Romalia._

"_Henrietta and I will not begin our mission until after you get here. Overfly the city with your Zero fighter. That is how we will know that you have begun your engagement."_

Robert smiled.

"_You and Louise have no idea how thrilled I was to meet both of you in Tristania that night. I could not show it under the circumstances, but it was a truly staggering experience."_

The image flickered and became fuzzy.

"_Good-bye for now Saito. I look forward to meeting you in Romalia."_

With that the image dissolved completely and the beam of light retracted back into the device.

Saito looked around the room. Everyone just stared into space, mouths hanging open and silent.

Even the unflappable Karin the Heavy Wind was left speechless.

Of all people, it was Beckett who broke the silence.

"I-I thought that….. I thought that Robert was a commoner."

"Robert is a commoner," Saito replied. "Trust me that was not magic."

"Then what was that?" asked Karin.

"Look, I don't have time to explain it right now, but it is not magic."

Saito looked at Tabitha.

"What is going on?"

"You can trust Robert."

Saito slammed his fist onto the table. "Dammit! That's not good enough. Before I take the Army and go running off to Romalia, I need some information!"

"I can't tell you."

"What do you mean you can't tell me?"

"Robert will explain in Romalia."

"Tabitha I need to know now!"

"SAITO!"

Saito turned around looked at Louise. She was now standing over Saito and giving him a look that he had become quite familiar with over the years.

It was a look she usually gave just before unleashing an _Explosion_.

"Regardless of why this is happening we are going to Romalia! Princess-sama is there and we are going to save her!"

Saito turned back to face Tabitha, he knew better than to argue with Louise.

"It will take a few days to plan and prepare the Army."

"Fine, but there is more to tell you."

Saito didn't think he could take any more surprises.

"What is it now Tabitha?"

"Since my sister's death, I have become the new Void user."

"It's true." Kirche added. "When she was fighting the Bishop, I saw her _Teleport_ in and out of the courtyard. Also, she destroyed the beheading machine with an _Explosion _spell."

Once again silence dominated the room.

"Tabitha." Louise said concernedly.

Louise and Tiffania both stood, walked over to Tabitha, and embraced her.

Tiffania looked at Tabitha with tears in her eyes.

"No matter what happens from here on…" Louise said. "We will be here to help you Tabitha."

Saito looked over to Alexander.

"We need to talk."

"Agreed."

Saito and Alexander stood.

Suddenly Saito felt something wrap around his ankles and drag him to the floor.

"No you don't Saito!"

It was Louise. She could move surprisingly fast when she wanted to.

"Where do you think you're going, sneaking off without your Master?"

"I need to talk to Alexander."

"Well whatever you need to say to him you can say in front of me."

She pulled Saito's face close to hers for emphasis.

"No more secrets!"

After relocating to an adjacent room, Saito, Louise and Alexander looked at one another.

"Let me get this straight," Saito began. "You're from the future too?"

"Yes."

"Alright, what are you doing here?"

"Saving existence."

"Saving it from what?"

Alexander remained silent.

Saito threw his hands up in frustration.

"You what has been really bothering me Alex? That night we first met. You remember?"

"Yes, I was going to kill you."

Louise looked up surprised.

Saito paid it no mind and continued.

"You said that I had betrayed my family, my friends, and even Louise. You even told me that the _stars were_ _suffering my wrath."_

"What did you mean by that?"

"It doesn't matter now."

"The hell it doesn't WHAT DID YOU MEAN?"

Saito was now standing, shaking with anger.

"Later on, when I asked you why you didn't kill me, you said that I was not yet the man you wanted to kill. I've seen enough sci-fi movies to figure this out."

Saito licked his lips.

"Sometime in the future I am going to do something aren't I, something terrible."

Louise now stood up.

"YOU WERE GOING TO KILL SAITO?"

"No Louise, wait a second!" Saito tried his best to restrain his wife.

He failed.

Louise pointed her wand at Alexander, it was glowing white with energy that sparked and crackled around.

Louise chanted.

"_Explos-"_

Before she could finish, Alexander grasped the tip of Louise's wand. The energy flowed from the wand and disappeared into Alexander's hand.

Louise felt her head go light, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed.

Saito caught his wife before she hit the floor.

"What did you do to her?"

"She'll be fine, I just absorbed her willpower."

"Huh?"

"I told you Saito, I am a product of the Void. Absorbing magic is just one of my many skills."

Alexander then placed his hand on Saito's shoulder.

"Trust me Saito. When I saved you and Louise from that elf, I also saved the Universe. There is nothing more to worry about."

With that, Alexander turned and left the room, leaving Saito holding his unconscious wife in his arms, and feeling more confused than ever.

_Why won't anybody just give me a simple straight answer?_

**Scene Break**

Alexander reentered the conference room, and walked over to Professor Colbert.

"Come on Professor, We've got work to do."

"Work?"

Alexander also pointed at Guiche.

"You too earth mage; we'll need your alchemy."

"What are we doing?" asked Colbert.

"We're making bullets, lots of them."

A short time later Saito and Louise came back in. Louise was looking rather worse for wear.

"Are you alright?" asked Tiffania.

"She'll be fine" answered Saito. "She just needs to rest."

But there were a couple more items on the agenda. Queen Charlotte asked Auric and Fouquet to step forward.

Out of gratitude for helping her take back her Kingdom; the Queen produced a declaration restoring their nobility titles to both of them.

Auric was pleased, because his title grant also extended to his wife.

Fouquet on the other hand:

"I cannot accept this."

"Matilda."

Fouquet turned around and saw Tiffania.

She had tears in her eyes, and held out her arms to embrace Fouquet.

Fouquet had been a surrogate aunt to Tiffania in the days before Saito had faced the army of 70,000 and ended up at her house. As a result, Tiffania and Fouquet had developed a close relationship.

"Please Matilda" Tiffa pleaded. "No more running."

Fouquet hugged Tiffa back.

"You know why I can't accept this? It's because of what those Albion nobles did to your father and mother."

"I know, but that is not Tabitha's fault, and it's not yours either."

Tiffania released her embrace and looked at Fouquet.

"You need to forgive yourself, and come back to us."

Fouquet thought for a moment. After a time, she reluctantly agreed to take the parchment from Tabitha.

Matilda of Saxe Gotha was a noble again.

Saito produced a document of his own.

He explained that he had been approached by some representatives from Albion and Germania to explore ways to end the commoner rebellion. That session had produced what Saito and Louise were now calling the _Declaration of Commoner's Rights._ They were trying to get all of the royal families of Halkeginia to sign it.

Saito began to explain the provisions of his work when Tabitha suddenly grabbed the document from his hands.

Without a word, Tabitha took a quill, and signed it.

Her advisors gasped openly as she handed it back to Saito.

"Your Majesty, aren't you even going to read it first?"

"I believe in Saito."

Saito sat there shocked, and touched by what Tabitha had said.

Tabitha stared back at Saito, her own thoughts swirling in her head.

_I do believe in Saito_, she thought to herself. And yet she was afraid. She was afraid of what she might say if she confronted him about his world, his people.

That was why she didn't tell him about what Robert had said:

That his people would invade Halkeginia and destroy the mages.

Because despite her feelings for him, a part of Tabitha wanted to blame Saito for this.

Inside Tabitha, a small childish version of herself wanted to stomp and scream at Saito. Level an accusing finger at him and say that it was his fault that her race was doomed. It was his fault for not warning them about the true nature of his world.

But the adult Tabitha knew that would not be fair. Saito had shown over and over that he wanted to protect this world and its people.

And if that were true, then Saito would never condone what his fellow human beings would do in the future.

_I believe in Saito_, she thought to herself again.

Saito stared at Tabitha smiling, and yet completely oblivious to what was taking place in her mind.

And so Tabitha just smiled right back.

**Scene Break**

In the corridors of the Romalian Cathedral, a noble nervously awaited his turn to see the Pope.

Alastair Teague paced back and forth, reciting over and over in his head what he needed to say to the leader of the Brimiric faith.

Just then the door opened and out stepped a procession of cardinals, followed by none other than the man Alastair had come to see.

Pope Artimus the 19th. Elected shortly after the conclusion of the Ancient Dragon Crisis, Artimus was much older and seasoned than his predecessor. However the Pope was still a muscular man with thick arms and a full head of silver hair.

Elected to be a caretaker Pope in the wake of the disasters that marked the reign of Pope Vittorio, Artimus instead relished a more hands on approach to his papacy.

He smiled at the trembling nobleman waiting to see him.

"Alastair, what brings you out to see me this evening?"

"Well your Eminence, I need to speak with you. There are things that you need to be made aware of."

"Of course Alastair, care to walk with me?"

The pair walked down the corridors and descended a grand staircase to the lower levels of the residence. All the while Alastair bared his soul to the Pope.

"Word has just reached me from Gallia your Eminence, Bishop Viscido is dead."

"Yes, quite disturbing, an official of the Church being murdered by a monarch."

"But now with Viscido's death, I feel that I can make a confession to you."

"A confession? My dear Alastair, what could you have possibly done to make you come out to confession in the middle of the night?"

And so Alastair Teague spilled everything. The assassination plot to kill the King and Queen of Tristain, the elf, the Duchess Valliere who was coming to claim his life, and how Viscido was behind it all, even going as far as to make sure that when the details came to light, that it would be the Pope himself who took the fall.

And to Alastair's surprise, the Pope maintained a neutral expression through it all, he even managed to chuckle when Alastair mentioned the Bishop's role in everything.

When Teague finished, he looked up to Pope Artimus, ready to receive the condemnation that he felt sure would be in offering.

But the Pope simply smiled.

"I appreciate your candor Alastair. You have shown real loyalty by confessing your sins, but to tell you the truth, everything you have told me, I already know."

"B-b-but, ahh, how is that your Eminence?"

During their walk, the two had descended to one of the lower basements of the papal residence. It was by no means the lowest level. There were many more levels of passages and catacombs that went lower still, one of which was the final resting place of the Founder himself.

The Pope opened the door and beckoned Alastair to follow him inside.

The sight that greeted him was one that would chill his soul.

They found themselves on a metal balcony with a railing of horizontal metal bars; several mails below them were rows and rows of dragons.

The dragons roared and bucked up and down as they strained against the chains holding them down.

But for Alastair, the soul chilling part was who was waiting on the balcony to greet them.

Lolindir Nenharma, the elven assassin.

The same one that Alastair had hired to kill Saito and Louise.

Lord Teague immediately shrank back in horror.

Pope Artimus merely smiled at the elf.

"Good evening Lolindir. How is everything progressing?"

"Very well, your Eminence. We should be ready within a day or two."

"May I hold one?"

"Of course."

Lolindir handed the Pope a large round object that glowed red with the power of the Fire Spirits.

A jewel of fire.

"I have managed to create sixteen of these jewels; each one has the power to level an entire fleet of ships."

Lolindir smiled. "Or an army."

"What is this outrage?"

Both Pope and elf turned to look at Alastair.

"Something bothering you Teague?" asked the Pope.

Alastair looked incredulous.

"An elf in the Holy Capital!"

Teague grasped the Pope by his shoulders.

"Why is the Pope of Romalia keeping a psychotic elf in the basement?"

With that Lolindir Nenharma waved his hand and levitated Alastair off the balcony and over the jaws of the hungry dragons.

The frightened noble screamed as the beasts leaped and snapped their jaws while trying to get a bite of his flesh.

"Now Lolindir," the Pope said calmly, "is that any way to treat a noble guest?"

Slowly, and with great reluctance, the elf brought poor Alastair back to the balcony and set him back down next to the Pope.

Alastair was breathing quite heavily and clutching his chest.

Lolindir Nenharma bowed to the Pope and said, "My apologies Master."

"Master?"

"Yes Alastair. You see, Lolindir never really worked for you or Bishop Viscido. He was mine the entire time. That is why I already knew of Viscido's schemes, and your desire to kill the Commoner King. He told me everything."

The Pope nodded to Lolindir, who then proceeded to remove his gauntlets.

"He was merely fulfilling his duty as my familiar."

The elf held up his right hand. Firmly carved in the flesh were runes of Vindalfr, the master of the beasts.

The familiar of the Pope.

Pope Artimus held one of the fire jewels close to Alastair's face.

"You see Alastair, we don't have to invade Tristain or Gallia, they will come to us."

"And when they do," Lolindir finished, "I will command these dragons to carry the fire jewels to their fleets and armies, and obliterate them."

"But that is not even the best part."

Lolindir waved his hand and a section of the basement floor opened.

A special type of golem occupied the large hole in the floor.

Instead of a typical body, this golem's torso was a long and slender tube.

Instead of arms and legs, it had fins, and wings.

The Pope seemed very proud of what he and his elven familiar had created.

"A special design based on what was witnessed when Gandalfr flew his steel dragon."

"This golem will carry five fire jewels on board, as well as enough windstones to fly the great distance needed to reach its target."

Alastair's mouth hung open, clearly overwhelmed by what lay before him.

"And where will your familiar be commanding this monstrosity to go?" he asked.

The Pope smiled.

"Tristania."


	17. 14 The Battle of Romalia

Author's Notes: Ok, so I got a little too ambitious with this battle. Unfortunately I had to break this one in half; otherwise I'd end up with a single incredibly massive chapter. And I also would not be updating for at least another week. So here is the first half of the Battle of Romalia.

Also I would like to take a moment and thank **Beancorn** for showing me how to do a proper pause break. Thank you very much, I appreciate it.

Ok ladies and germs, without further adoo, on with the story!

* * *

Saito sat in the cockpit of his Zero Fighter testing the controls. He let his hand touch each switch, lever and gauge one by one as the Gandalfr runes fed information about the control's status to his brain.

His hand moved from the control stick, to the fire controls, while his feet worked the pitch and yaw pedals.

He smiled as he the runes told him that everything was satisfactory. He'd become so familiar with this craft over the years, he wondered if he could fly even without Gandalfr's runes.

Saito poked his head out of the cockpit, and looked around. He was in the hangar bay built especially for the fighter on the grounds of the Magic Academy, and standing at a long workbench lining one of the walls of the hangar was Professor Colbert and Alexander Dufresne. The professor and the android had been working almost nonstop for three days making ammunition for the fighter's wing mounted machine guns and autocannon.

Actually the professor had been working almost non-stop, Alexander, however had not stopped at all.

Androids do not sleep.

And working further off to the side of the bench was Guiche Gramont. His job was to use his alchemy skills to turn ordinary dirt into gunpowder, and then measure it out in portions to fill the bullet casings.

He slept, or at least slacked off at every opportunity. He claimed that using all that alchemy drained his willpower and he needed to recharge it.

Saito again turned his attention to the Zero Fighter. He had not been able to use this craft in actual combat since the ammunition ran out.

The precision machine work that was required to make bullets for the 7.7 mm machine guns and the 20 mm autocannon did not exist on Halkeginia.

But the presence of Alexander changed that equation.

Using his hand lasers, Alexander was able to make precisely cut molds while Colbert used his alchemy to create lead ingots for melting and pouring into those molds.

Whenever Colbert or Guiche rested, Alexander continued casting the shells and assembling the finished rounds. He never grew tired, and his hands never shook.

After three days of work, there were now thousands of rounds ready to be loaded into the Fighter's wings.

Saito sighed quietly. Three days, plus one day for traveling from Gallia to Tristain aboard the _Ostland _to get to the Magic Academy, a total of four days since he last saw Tabitha and Louise.

He wondered how they were doing.

Upon arriving in Tristain, Saito had Agnes and the Musketeer Corp take command of the Army and march them to Gallia, stopping to pick up the Commoner's Army at the refugee camps on the way. The Tristain Airfleet was already en route and would arrive in Lutece within a day or two.

The plan was to have everything in place to march into Romalia by the time Saito arrived in Gallia with the Zero Fighter.

"Saito."

Roused from his thoughts Saito turned to Alexander who had climbed the ladder to the cockpit and was now leaning over the side facing him.

Saito sat there considering the android. Earlier he'd told them that he was not only from the future, but he was a product of the Void. But to Saito's knowledge robots are made in factories, not by mages.

Given the demonstrations of Alexander's abilities, such as when he was able to absorb Louise's willpower, it would seem as though Alexander was the perfect fusion of technology and Void.

Which also gave Saito another disturbing thought:

_The fact of his existence meant that the worlds of the magical and the technological were destined to collide._

The potential characterized by such a powerful combination was more than Saito could imagine….or wanted to.

Alexander continued to address Saito.

"We have enough ammunition to fill the aircraft's guns, however…." Alexander paused to gather his thoughts.

"… I believe this plan is fool hardy. There are other ways to signal Robert that the invasion has begun."

"I agree, but since The Battle of Tarbes, this airplane has become a symbol of hope for the commoners. They need to know that Tristain is fighting for them."

"And that is just my point Saito, everyone who sees this craft will know who is flying it. That will make you a very obvious and tempting target. The Romalians will attack you with everything they have."

"The Zero Fighter far outclasses anything the Romalians can throw at me."

"Yes, in a one to one fight, this aircraft makes you unbeatable, but against an entire fleet of airships, with a full complement of dragons each, I'm afraid forfeit will not only be likely, but inevitable."

"Then what do you suggest?" Saito asked.

Alexander smiled.

"I have an idea."

* * *

Captain Harland Rookwood took a deep breath and exhaled. The crisp, cool mountain air was a rare treat for a sailor such as him.

Captain Rookwood stood on the deck of the Romalian flagship _Knight Hammer _and took in the sight before him. On the deck were crewmen conducting all sorts of tasks that kept a ship running smoothly, rigging, sweeping, maintenance, inspecting guns and superstructure.

Beyond that, they were surrounded by other vessels, scores of them, crewed by men totaling in the thousands, all nestled neatly in between two sets of mountains.

Rookwood had to admit, he was quite befuddled when orders came from the Pope to take the entire Romalian fleet and conceal them in the mountains. However, as he looked at the snowcapped peaks surrounding his fleet, he realized that he had no other complaints.

The view was stunning.

The sight of the morning sun peeking over the summit gave the entire scene an almost angelic quality.

"It is quite beautiful isn't it?"

"Indeed Your Holiness."

Artimus the 19th, Pope of Romalia, had graced the _Knight Hammer _with his presence that morning.

"Actually Captain, I wasn't referring to the view."

The Pope looked at the deck of the _Knight Hammer_ with enthusiastic reverence.

"What a magnificent vessel."

Romalia's sparkling new flagship, the _Knight Hammer_, was easily the largest ship in the Romalian fleet. Twice as long as the _Ostland_ at 300 mails in length, the _Knight Hammer _was a beast of a vessel.

Serving as both warship and command center, the _Knight Hammer _contained meeting rooms for the top brass of the Romalian Sky Navy, as well as numerous signal lamps, and flagmen.

But that was not all. This beast also had teeth.

The _Knight Hammer_ was bristling with firepower. The ship boasted nearly 200 cannons, arranged in rows throughout the sides of the ship. Several more rows penetrated the bottom of the hull to protect against attack from below. These cannons could be retracted and doors then sealed for water operations.

It was every bit a ship built for war.

"Your Holiness, may I ask,"

The captain licked his lips.

"Why are we here?"

The captain gestured to the other vessels queued up in the valley along with the _Knight Hammer._

"We are expecting an invasion."

"Invasion?" The captain asked incredulously. "Who would dare invade Romalia?"

Captain Rookwood suddenly turned pale.

"It's not the elves is it?"

"Would it make any difference if it were?"

"Of course not Your Holiness, I was just-"

"Frightened" Artimus finished for him.

The Pope placed a hand on Captain Rookwood's shoulder.

"Be at ease. You and your fellow sailors are tasked with defending our faith."

Captain Rookwood returned a slight smile.

"There you see?" Pope Artimus said. "With God on our side, how can we lose?"

Suddenly, the Pope was all business.

"Now then, your orders Captain are to remain here until you receive the order to attack. By then the opposing forces should be weakened sufficiently so that the fleet will only need to close in and destroy them. However, this ship will remain removed from the fight, I do not wish for our Founder's latest gift to be damaged."

The Pope gestured toward the large tarp covered object that had been placed on the _Knight Hammer's _sprawling deck. It was dozens of mails long, about as much as a decent sized golem was tall. Through the small gaps in the tarp's folds, the Captain could see the sheen of metal plating.

Captain Rookwood was burning with curiosity.

"So it is my understanding that we are to protect this object here?"

"Yes Captain. This object once delivered Halkeginia from an unspeakable evil, and soon, it will do so again."

"Your job will be to make sure that the enemy fleet does not have a chance to harm this object before it is released. So while the rest of the fleet engages the enemy, you will keep a safe distance from the conflict."

Captain Rookwood bowed to Pope Artimus.

"Of course Your Holiness, we live to serve the Founder in all things."

"Good to hear it Captain. Now, I must take my leave of you."

The Captain bowed again to the Pope as he boarded the dragon that would return him to the capital city.

As the Pope's dragon leapt into the sky, Captain Rookwood had a nagging thought that had become lodged in his mind, a question that seemed to have no answer, or at least one that he didn't want to hear.

_If it's not the elves we're fighting, then who the hell is it?"_

* * *

_Several Days Later…_

Henrietta walked leisurely through the streets of Romalia, hand in hand with Robert de Sable. In keeping the appearance of a married couple, it was necessary to project a romantic atmosphere between the two of them. They engaged in hugging, and canoodling, and Henrietta even obliged Robert with the occasional peck on the cheek. They even went so far as to share the same room at the inn they were staying at, lest the gossiping maids spread rumors to the wrong set of ears, and Romalian eavesdroppers begin to take notice.

However, once the door of said room closed behind them, Henrietta made herself clear that this was as far as the charade went.

And to his credit, Robert was a perfect gentlemen, Henrietta slept on the bed, while Robert rested in one of the chairs, though every now and again Henrietta would wake in the middle of the night and catch Robert seated with his back to the fireplace reading his book. Keeping her eyelids open just the tiniest bit while pretending to sleep, she struggled mightily to read the book's title.

But alas, she could not, much to her frustration.

_I swear by the Founder before this is over I am going to see just what is so fascinating about that book._

But today as Henrietta strolled through Romalia she was quite giddy. In fact one could almost say that she was actually enjoying herself.

Despite the looming battle that was to come, Henrietta was rather enjoying the fact that she could walk the streets without being encumbered by any of her royal responsibilities.

The burden of leadership was a heavy one, and it had followed Henrietta everywhere she went.

But not today, today she was just Ann, a simple commoner who was on a pilgrimage with her husband.

She stopped in front of a fountain depicting a naked muse dancing while spilling water into the pool. From the bottom of the fountain Henrietta could see coins glittering in the sunlight, giving the rippling water an otherworldly sparkle.

"Oh darling," she said playfully, "can you spare a coin for the fountain? I want to make a wish."

Robert fished in his pocket and pulled out a single gold ecu coin.

Henrietta giggled as it hit the water with a _plop!_

"What did you wish for?"

Henrietta placed a finger up to Robert's lips.

"Now you know I can't tell you that, otherwise it will not come true."

With that, she gave a quick twirl and resumed her leisurely saunter down the street.

"You've… really buried yourself in the part," Robert observed once he'd caught up to her.

"You can't blame a girl for wanting to enjoy herself just a little."

Henrietta stopped and became serious.

"The last time I was in Romalia I was on a mission to prevent a war. Not only did I fail, but I watched thousands of people die at the hands of a madman."

"That would be King Joseph."

"Yes, how did you know that?"

"It's part of history."

Henrietta looked around her. Romalia was a place of unparalleled grandeur, with art and architecture that was second to none.

"I was never able to just enjoy myself the last time. And now, before this battle happens, I want to savor every moment that I can."

Seeing her friends and loved ones escape death by mere inches time and again had taught Henrietta to have a healthy respect for life. She cherished these moments of peace, because one never knew if the opportunity to enjoy them would ever come again.

But beyond that, and Henrietta would be loathe to admit it, but she had actually enjoyed the time she'd spent with Robert. He was an engaging conversationalist and was quite educated. Despite the fact that Robert was a commoner, he was well versed in all aspects of magical theory and artifacts, that and the fact that he was from another time made Henrietta somewhat intrigued by him.

She stared at Robert intently, as if she trying to put him into some sort of context.

"You know something?" she began, "despite rumors to the contrary, you're actually—"

Henrietta stopped, she heard something. It started out as a barely perceptible sound, but grew louder and more apparent as it drew closer. And soon she found that she could recognize the sound.

The noise was an unmistakable droning.

A quick look into the sky confirmed Henrietta's suspicions:

It was the Zero Fighter.

Henrietta's eyes grew wide, and her heart started pounding in her chest. _He _had come at last.

"_Saito"_ She whispered to herself.

"TO ARMS! TO ARMS!"

Guards began to run frantically to their posts.

Suddenly one guard commander cried out, "ENEMIES AT THE GATE!"

Soon every guard, from every point in Romalia scrambled up the city walls and towers, preparing to defend the capital from the aggressors coming to take the city.

"Come on!" Robert shouted over the commotion. "It's time!"

Henrietta looked back up to the cloudless sky. The Zero Fighter had banked away from the city and was flying away.

Whatever anger she may have felt toward Saito for what his people will do to her world one day had evaporated into the air. Seeing the man she loved putting himself in danger yet again for her sake, made her tremble with emotion.

_Saito….Please, _she thought silently to herself.

_Please…. Be careful._

* * *

The Cathedral of Roamlia was built to pay homage to Brimir and the magic society that he founded. The grounds consisted of a pentagon with five towers at each point, and the outer towers were connected to the others by a wall that ringed the complex. Each tower was built to symbolize one of the five magical elements: Water, Air, Earth, Fire, and Void. In the center of the Cathedral's enclosed courtyard, and built to symbolize the Founder himself, was the tallest tower, home to the Pope of Romalia, and the Brimiric faith.

The Cathedral's observatory was the highest room in the entire Capital. Such a place offered a commanding view of not only the city, but of the surrounding landscape as well.

It was from here, at the Cathedral's tallest point, that the Pope observed everything.

Against the background of pristine mountains, Artimus saw the invading air fleet.

"_Impressive," _he thought. "_It seems almost like a crime to destroy it."_

Upon the completion of this thought, the Pope closed his eyes and placed his hand against his forehead.

"_Lolindir"_

From deep in the one of the Cathedral's many basements, the Pope's elven familiar replied.

"_I am ready Master."_

The Pope smiled.

"_Then let's begin."_

After removing his hand from his forehead, Lolindir Nenharma stretched his hands toward the high ceiling of the basement, directly beneath the Cathedral's courtyard.

"Spirits that reside in these stones, I command you in the name of the ancient Contract!"

* * *

Upon hearing of the invading force that had arrived from Gallia, pandemonium swept the Cathedral complex, and both priests and holy maidens were running for safety.

It was in the midst of all this chaos that a hole suddenly opened up in a section of the Cathedral grounds.

Chunks of earth and brick sank into the hole, and at the bottom of the abyss, was a basement with several dragons, all under the command of the Pope's elven familiar.

Suddenly one dragon rose from the hole and with a heavy beat of its wings, catapulted itself into the sky.

Upon reaching sufficient altitude, the beast flew towards the assembled army and air fleet of Tristain and Gallia.

* * *

From the cockpit of the Zero Fighter, Alexander Dufresne was able to watch as the dragon rose from the city and banked toward the fleet. He could also see the combined army of Tristanian soldiers and commoners that were assembled beneath them for protection.

Alexander was immediately suspicious.

_Why send a single dragon up against an entire fleet?_

The fleet must have been unconcerned about the dragon because none made a move to intercept, and the beast was not fired upon.

It was a folly they would soon regret.

The dragon reached the center of the fleet's front lines.

Alexander was blinded by the sudden flash of light, which was followed a few seconds later by a massive, thunderous roar.

* * *

From the deck of the _Ostland, _Saito stood watching as his Zero Fighter banked high and away from the Romalian capital. Alexander was right, the mere presence of that aircraft would make Saito a target, and so when Alexander volunteered to pilot the plane in his place, he accepted.

Now Saito watched as a single dragon began closing in on his fleet.

It was moving at a very high rate of speed.

Saito was puzzled. Why would they just send one dragon against an entire fleet?

As the dragon drew closer, Saito noticed that it bore no rider.

Suddenly Saito gasped.

The realization of what was happening hit him like a lightning bolt. He'd seen this strategy before. In fact the Japanese people had used it in a desperate attempt to stave off defeat in their last great war.

As the dragon was almost on top of them, Saito screamed a word that to this point was unknown in Halkeginia.

"KAMIKAZE!"

The dragon exploded.

Saito watched in horror as the fireball consumed ship after ship. The vessel hovering off the _Ostland's_ portside bow disintegrated into splinters. The percussion wave from the blast washed over the _Ostland's _deck sweeping Saito off the other side. The fact that he was able to catch one of the railing supports was the only thing that saved him from plunging to his death.

The _Ostland _rolled almost vertically to starboard leaving Saito clutching the railing for dear life, and hanging hundreds of mails from the ground below. Suddenly the cannon that had been strapped to the main deck of the _Ostland, _an old Flak 88 known as the _Great Spear_, broke its chains and slid off the deck. It crashed through the railing, missing Saito by inches.

Saito looked down as the flak gun plunged to the ground, rolling over and over.

Inside the _Ostland _Louise, Colbert, and the others were tossed around like ragdolls. In the main cabin, Professor Colbert tried desperately to stand and reach the controls so that he could right the ship. After finally reaching the wheel, Colbert spun it 'round and 'round, until the ship settled right side up again.

Louise bolted out the ship's front door and onto the main deck.

"SAITO!"

She looked left and right, and could see no sign of her husband.

"Here Louise!"

On the starboard side, Louise saw a pair of hands clutching the railing.

Without even thinking, Louise pulled out her wand and cast _Levitation._

Saito floated gently up and over the railing to land safely on the deck.

Louise ran over and embraced her familiar.

"Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! What were you doing?" She asked tearfully.

"Sorry" replied Saito meekly.

Before Louise could berate Saito further, a large shadow fell across the deck of the _Ostland_. Saito and Louise protected their faces from the wind stirred up by the flapping of wings as a huge manticore landed on the ship's deck.

Colbert, Kirche, Guiche, Montmorency, Tiffania, and Tabitha came out to see the great beast.

"Are you alright?" asked Karin the Heavy Wind as she dismounted her familiar.

"Everyone is fine Mother" replied Louise.

Karin took in the sight of broken deck planks and shattered windows. Her eyes widened at the hole in the railing where the _Great Spear _had crashed through moments ago.

Her eyes then settled on the couple.

"What was that?"

"It was an elven fire jewel" said Saito. "Louise and I faced them before in Aquileia."

Karin shot Louise a cold look. Apparently Louise had left out a few of the more harrowing details about her and Saito's adventures during the crusades.

"Someone is sending dragons out of the city with those fire jewels" said Saito.

"But how in the world is the Pope getting his hands on elven fire jewels? I thought only elves could create them."

"But that would mean that there is an elf in the Capital" said Professor Colbert.

"Huh?" everyone gasped out at the same time.

"Yeah" interjected Saito, "and I'll bet it's the same one that tried to kill Louise and I back in Tristania."

Saito then turned to look at Karin the Heavy Wind.

"Can you get me into the Capital?"

Karin nodded.

"Saito!" Louise was angry and clutching her fist. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to stop whoever is doing this."

"You couldn't beat that elf last time, and now you want to try again?"

"He won't be alone Louise, I have business with that elf as well."

Karin said this while giving Louise a look of death.

"I'll be sending him to join his employers in hell."

"Mother!" Louise said through her shock. "You've been killing those nobles?"

Again Karin nodded.

"But why? I never thought you were—"

"-capable of such things?" Karin finished for her.

Louise looked as though she were seeing her Mother for the very first time.

In some ways, she really was.

Louise had always known about her Mother's fierce reputation, and she had also known that her Mother had killed others in combat before, but this…..

This was something else entirely, for her Mother to systematically hunt down a group of people one by one and murder them.

It was beyond anything Louise had ever imagined possible.

Karin stepped forward and embraced her daughter.

"I care a great deal for you and your sisters, and I regret that I was so hard on you all while you were children." She said. "But I had to make sure that you knew what it meant to be a Valliere."

Karin gently turned her daughter's face up by the chin.

"You have accomplished more than I ever could Louise, and I am very proud of you."

Louise was stunned, and unable to move. She had never seen this side if her Mother before.

Slowly, Louise returned her Mother's embrace.

After parting, mother and daughter looked endearingly at one another.

Karin turned to face Saito.

"It's time to go."

"DRAGON!" shouted Professor Colbert.

Another dragon had risen up and out of the city and was now flying toward the fleet. Suddenly, the beast dove and was soon skimming along the ground.

And just as the one that came before, it did not carry a rider.

"It's heading for the Army!" cried Guiche.

Saito looked to his wife. "Louise!"

Louise nodded, and pointed her wand at the dragon.

"_Explosion!"_

The fire jewel carried by the dragon detonated with a deafening roar.

Fortunately, Louise had caused the jewel to explode prematurely; the blast only shook the vessels and rattled the army, nothing more.

Still, Saito wondered just how much more of this punishment they could take.

Saito felt a hand land on his shoulder.

It was Karin the Heavy Wind.

"Come on Saito, we're going to the Capital."

Saito nodded and climbed aboard the manticore.

* * *

The explosion of the fire jewel had thrown Beckett off his horse and back into his men.

_This is insane, _he thought.

Beckett looked around; the entire front two rows of his army were in disarray. As he began issuing orders for them to reorganize, he couldn't help but wonder just how they were supposed to win against this sort of thing.

* * *

Captain Rookwood saw the red glow of a massive explosion over the peaks of the mountain.

"That's it! That's the Pope's signal!

He turned to the deck officer.

"Signal the other ships, we're going up!"

One by one, the ships of the Romalian fleet rose into the sky.

Once the _Knight Hammer_ cleared the peaks, a truly astounding sight awaited Captain Rookwood.

The Tristainian fleet was in disarray. At least a quarter of its ships were burning hulks littering the plain below, and several more were heavily damaged.

Rookwood estimated that no more than half of the enemy fleet was still in fighting shape.

"By the Founder!" exclaimed the captain. "What sort of magic could do this?"

Captain Rookwood began issuing orders,

"Have them close in and attack, once the guns have cut them to pieces the dragons are to begin-"

"CAPTAIN!" the deck officer wrapped his arms around Captain Rookwood and dragged him to the deck.

Suddenly wood began splintering as machine gun rounds pounded the ship. Officers and crew ran and sought cover as the Zero Fighter strafed the deck of the _Knight Hammer._

The Captain stood up and smoothed out his uniform. His eyes became narrow slits as they tracked the Zero Fighter through the sky.

It was _Him._

He turned to the deck officer.

"Belay those orders! Signal the other ships to launch their dragons immediately. They are to use whatever means necessary to swat that commoner insect from the sky!"

* * *

Henrietta shivered in the cold darkness of the tunnel. During the initial confusion of the early stages of the attack, Robert and Henrietta were able to sneak their way into the Romalian Cathedral and begin their journey down the dark and creepy catacombs.

But being merely dark and creepy was not enough. It was also cold. Very cold.

Though the holy maiden robes that Henrietta wore over her commoner's clothes offered some insulation from the cutting frostlike air, she still found herself wrapping her arms around her chest in a vain attempt to stay warm.

Directly in front of Henrietta, Robert, who similarly wore priest robes, led the way with a torch that he'd plucked from the tunnel wall when the darkness became too thick to see through. Henrietta thought about volunteering to carry the torch for a while, but quickly squashed that idea when she realized that she hadn't the faintest idea where they were going.

_Oh why could I not have been born a fire mage? _She thought ruefully.

Robert on the other hand seemed to know exactly where he was going. He navigated every fork in the path with absolute confidence. He seemed so certain of their path that the further down these dark catacombs they went, the more his pace quickened.

It was a pace that Henrietta was hard pressed to match.

The floor of the tunnel became rocky, and littered with all manner of broken bricks, and debris. Henrietta even found herself foundering over the occasional human skull. Robert hopped, skipped, and stepped over hidden obstacles with practiced ease, while Henrietta had to step carefully, lest she surrender whatever royal dignity she had left to a woeful misstep that would place her face first in the dirt.

Watching Robert make such steady progress while she struggled to earn every inch was enough to driver her mad.

"How is it," Henrietta began just as she briefly lost her balance on an unfortunately placed piece of tunnel wall, "that you can maneuver so easily through this clutter?"

"It is a consequence of my chosen profession."

"Oh? You go crawling around in dark tunnels for a living?"

"Actually yes, in my own time I am an archeologist."

"An arky-what?"

Robert smiled and stifled a small chuckle.

"Archeologist. Basically, I dig in the dirt looking for clues to how ancient civilizations lived and functioned. Part of that profession involves spending a great deal of time underground in cramped spaces."

"Why would a person choose to do such a thing?"

"It is how I have come to know so much about your people. Remember Your Majesty, where I am from, the mages have been extinct for centuries. Any remnants of your culture have been long buried. I have devoted my career to studying magical relics and history."

Robert turned to face Henrietta; the torch gave his otherwise handsome face a red demonic glow.

"Did you know that many years ago, long before I was born, other archeologists discovered a treasure trove of artifacts, ancient texts, and documents, buried deep beneath the ruins of what you call the Magic Academy of Tristain?"

Henrietta was startled.

"You found the document storage room? How? That place is magically sealed off from outsiders."

"I won't bore you with the details Your Majesty, but let me just say that one should never underestimate the power of human technology."

The Queen shook her head as Robert turned forward and continued down the tunnel.

"Those documents were found to be remarkably well preserved considering how long they had been buried, no doubt a result of preservation magic. The documents were eventually relocated to Earth, where they reside in a high security vault with restricted access. "

"I was fortunate enough to be granted access to them during my years as a university student on Earth."

Soon the passage widened, and they came to a wide circular passage with a heavy metal door at the end.

Robert tugged at the door in vain.

"Hmm. It seems to be locked."

He turned back to Henrietta.

"You wouldn't happen to have a key would you?"

Henrietta gave him a sarcastic expression.

"I didn't think so," Robert said dryly.

"Here, hold this."

He handed Henrietta the torch.

Robert then reached into his pouch and pulled out an odd looking object.

It was shaped like a wand, but it had a handle that curved downward and resembled that of a firearm. On the other end, where the results of a spell would come forth, the wand like object flattened out and had a horizontal slit at the end.

Robert pointed the object at the door.

Suddenly a yellow light emerged from the object's slit. The light traveled in a perfectly straight line and cut into the door. Henrietta stood transfixed as Robert traced an arch shaped outline into the door. When finished, Robert let go of the trigger, and the light went away. He then adjusted some sort of round dial at the trigger end of the object and pointed it at the center of the door. This time the object let out a loud whine and a yellow ball of energy flew from the object's tip and slammed into the door. The piece of metal that Robert had cut out exploded, leaving a perfect arch shaped entryway into the room.

Henrietta was left speechless.

"What-what-what-"Henrietta tried to speak, but her mouth was having trouble forming the words.

Robert turned around and held up the strange object for her to see.

"It is a plasma discharge pistol, a weapon from Earth."

"Saito's people made that?!"

"Well, they will, but not for several more centuries."

Again Henrietta shook her head. She had long since resolved herself to no longer be surprised at what came out of Saito's world, but she still couldn't help it.

Saito's people were the absolute masters of death.

Robert took back the torch and walked through the opening he'd just made in the door.

The room was pitch dark.

Henrietta's eyes struggled to adjust as Robert fumbled around for another source of light.

"Ahh here we go."

The dark room was suddenly flooded with light from magical lamps that Robert had activated.

It would not seem to be possible, but the sight that greeted Henrietta was even more surprising than what she had witnessed a few moments ago.

What she saw were guns, lots and lots of guns.

Even the normally calm and stoic Robert was staggered.

"Dear God in Heaven its Christmas!" he exclaimed.

Henrietta covered her mouth in surprise. She had heard about this room from Saito, the secret cache of weapons from his world, but actually seeing it firsthand was a different sort of experience altogether.

She looked over to Robert, who had a similar looking expression on his face.

Nearly every period of Earth's history was represented in the clandestine armory. Everything from flintlock rifles to automatic weapons capable of churning out hundreds of rounds a minute.

"Ann, over here!" Robert said, still using the Queen's faux name.

On the far side of the room was a brick wall. Embedded in one of the bricks about five mails from the floor was a glyph shaped like a pentagon.

Robert turned to the Queen.

"Your Majesty, remember back in Albion when I told you I needed your blood?"

Henrietta nodded.

"Well that time is now."

The Queen folder her arms and gave Robert a dubious look.

"This glyph is symbol of the Founder." He explained. "It means that there is an entryway that can only be opened by a descendant of Brimir. Proof of lineage must be offered, and that means blood."

Haltingly, Queen Henrietta offered her arm.

Robert took Henrietta's arm, and pulled a small knife from his belt.

Holding the blade to her arm, Robert looked Henrietta in the eye.

"I'm sorry."

The Queen turned away and grimaced as Robert made a small cut on her forearm. As the blood oozed forth, he pressed the flat end of the knife against the wound to coat it with blood.

As the Queen began healing herself with her water magic, Robert took the blood soaked knife, and rubbed it against the glyph.

The symbol radiated a deep purple and the sound of grating stone announced the opening of a passage.

A section of the wall slid open, revealing a set of stairs that led down further into the catacombs.

Taking the torch back, Robert led the way down the dark stairwell.

The darkness did not stay for long.

Upon the pair reaching the bottom of the stairwell, more magical lamps flared to life, giving the room a golden glow.

The room was tall; at least forty mails from floor to ceiling, and had all manner of runes and symbols carved into the walls.

In the center of the room was a tall stone statue of the Founder.

Robert approached the statue and began to examine the pedestal.

His fingers rubbed gently against the runes carved into the statue's base. Robert cleared his throat and began reading.

"Brimir Ru Rumiru Yuru Viri Vee Varutori, has returned to paradise. His corporeal vessel lies beneath." He paused as struggled to translate the last line.

"Only the signature, no wait, _mark _of St. Forsythe's love will know the secret."

"What does that mean?" asked Henrietta.

Robert paid no attention; he was already deep in thought.

To no one in particular, Robert lectured.

"A mark is a symbol, so it's something that symbolizes love, specifically the love of St. Forsythe."

Robert reached into his pouch…and pulled out a ring.

"How did you get that?" Henrietta asked loudly. "That ring is only to be worn by the Pope."

"And the Pope's ring is still on his finger" replied Robert.

Henrietta looked puzzled.

"This is the same ring that the Pope has on now" Robert explained "it's just a thousand years older."

With that Robert slid the ring bearing the Ruby of Fire on his finger. Making a fist, he placed the ring's jewel in the indentation on the statue's pedestal.

With a loud rumble, the statue and the base slowly rose from the floor, revealing the treasure beneath.

It was a large black box with holy runes carved into the sides. On top of the box, at opposite ends of what can only be described as the box's lid, were two dragons, with their wings pointed inward towards the lid's center.

Robert slowly inhaled and exhaled.

It was the _Founder's Blessing._

Robert slowly, and cautiously, stretched his hand toward the object. As the Ruby of Fire drew closer to the artifact, a bright red light matching the Ruby's color radiated from its lid seams and the rune characters carved in the sides.

Robert looked at the ring on his finger with awe.

"It still works!" he said. "If I touch the artifact while wearing this ring, all I have to do is think of the time and date I wish to go to and I will find myself instantly transported there."

Robert brought his hand with the ring in close to his chest.

"I can go home" he whispered.

He then noticed the similar blue ring on Henrietta's hand.

_I wonder._

Gingerly, he took Henrietta's hand, and before she could protest, he brought it close the _Blessing._

Again, a bright light radiated from the box's lid seams and rune characters, only this time the color matched the blue of Henrietta's Ruby of Water.

"Fascinating" Robert exalted. "I wonder if each ring is keyed to unlock a specific function of the artifact."

Robert then held up his hand displaying his ring.

"The Ruby of Fire is obviously time manipulation."

Henrietta stood next to Robert, nervously biting her lip.

"S-so will you be going home now?" she asked.

"I suppose I could, but I promised Saito that I would help you get this artifact out of the city."

"How did you know that this artifact was even here?"

"I'm the one who originally found it. Or at least I will find it."

Robert shook his head.

Time travel can get really confusing.

"In my time, this artifact is in a museum."

"You mean, a thousand years from now."

"Yes, and since I was the object's original discoverer, I was allowed the privilege of examining it. Once I discovered the artifact's time shifting abilities, I destroyed my research. I told my colleagues that the object had no special properties."

"Why did you lie?"

"Because Your Majesty, I decided that the ability to travel through time was too dangerous for anyone to know about. Entire histories can be altered; people or even entire civilizations can be wiped from existence."

Robert slowly turned away from the Queen as he continued speaking.

"But when the stars began going dark, the best and brightest minds of humanity could not understand why, but I did."

He turned back to the Queen.

"Because of the years I spent studying your people and culture, I could recognize what was happening. I knew that the Void was responsible. But I also knew that the only race capable of manipulating the Void was extinct."

Robert sighed; he put his hands in his pockets and kicked nervously at the floor.

"I came up with a plan. I knew that the only ones who could stop what was happening were the Markey. Again, information gained from studying your people was crucial. Your arrogance and firm belief in the superiority of magic had left you unprepared for the kind of technological warfare that Saito's people would bring to Halkeginia. The humans wiped you out."

"So, I decided to use the artifact to travel back in time to start a peasant rebellion against the mages. If I could somehow transform your feudal culture into a modern society, I knew that in the four hundred years that you now have until the humans arrive, you might be able to create a technological civilization that could stand up to them."

"And when the day finally came that whatever Void threat is out there began destroying the stars and wiping out civilizations, there would be a Markey race to stand against it."

"Your Majesty it does not matter what happens to me, your people must survive, the future of everyone depends on it."

Henrietta stood there, contemplating the man who had kidnapped her. The man who'd had her believing that her closest friends had died, and then put them in danger by arranging their ascension to the throne of Tristain.

The man who at one point Henrietta wanted to kill more than anything.

Robert de Sable.

The man who'd done all of this just to save her race from extinction.

Henrietta wanted to say something, but words wouldn't come. After some effort she could finally manage his name.

"Robert…Robert I-"

Suddenly Robert was lifted into the air by an unseen force and thrown hard against the chamber wall.

"Robert!" Henrietta cried.

Suddenly sensing another presence in the room, the Queen turned around to see who was there.

"Greetings Queen Henrietta de Tristain" said Lolindir Nenharma.

"My Master would like to speak with you."

With that, the Queen's world suddenly went black.

* * *

Leading a massive trail of dragons behind him, Alexander and the Zero fighter, cut through the sky.

How many dragons had he killed? Twenty? Thirty? He'd lost count; however, it seemed that his instincts about this aircraft were right. Thinking that he was Saito, the Romalians were doing everything they could to bring him down.

The two fleets were now intermixed with each other. Ships fired cannons at their enemies at point blank range.

Weaving in between the ships, Alexander was having a hard time telling the difference between friend and foe.

Flying at high speed in between a row of ships, another large group of dragons suddenly appeared in front of him.

Alexander let off another burst from the Zero's wing mounted machine guns. Three dragons were cut down immediately, while several more were right behind them and closing fast.

The android pulled back on the stick and the plane's nose came up. He quickly guided the Zero through a barrel roll maneuver up and over the oncoming dragons. The enemies passed right below him as he turned upside down. He quickly righted the plane, and continued to engage the enemy ships.

* * *

Louise fired off another _Explosion_ just as an enemy's offensive spell whizzed past her head. With the loss of the _Great Spear_, the _Ostland_ was defenseless. So Louise, Tabitha, Guiche, Montmorency, Tiffania, and Kirche were on the ship's deck firing off spells while Jean Colbert was trying desperately to extricate them from the battle before the Ostland came apart.

The steamed powered vessel shook violently from the pounding that it was taking from the other enemy ships. Colbert wondered just how much longer they possibly could last.

* * *

Queen Henrietta woke up lying on a plush couch. She looked around.

She bolted upright as she suddenly remembered the elf that had captured her and Robert.

There was no one around. She was in this room all by herself. Getting off the couch, Henrietta began to examine the room that she had found herself in. It was very well furnished and expensively decorated, with large red silk curtains covering a large window.

She pulled the curtains back, and saw a massive air battle taking place in the distance. Henrietta then looked down and saw that they were hundreds of mails in the air.

_I'm on a ship?_

"Breathtaking isn't it?"

Henrietta turned around.

"Forgive my intrusion Your Majesty. My name is Harland Rookwood. You are on board His Holiness' Flagship the _Knight Hammer. _I am the captain of this vessel."

"Why have I been brought here, and what have you done with Robert?"

"I'm afraid I have no answers to give you Your Majesty. However, if you would be willing to address your queries to His Holiness, he might be willing to answer you. He awaits you on deck."

With as much Royal air and dignity as she could muster, Henrietta strode forcefully past the Captain, and made her way to the ship's deck.

Henrietta found him standing on the stern of the _Knight Hammer, _watching her fleet battle the Romalians in swirl of smoke and flame.

As she approached the Pope, two papal guards appeared and restrained her.

"It's quite alright" said the Pope without turning around. "I doubt she'll be much of threat to me without her wand."

The Queen slowly approached the Pope, and stopped next to him.

Neither could take their eyes off of the spectacle before them.

From a distance of several miles, two fleets fought one other to ruination.

"Fascinating, isn't it Your Majesty?"

"I fail to see what one finds so fascinating about death."

The Pope faced Henrietta and smiled.

"It's not just a spectacle of death. This…." He said while waving his arm across the scene in one sweeping arc, "…is about more than just life or death, victory or defeat. This, my Queen, is about good and evil."

He paused and dropped his smile.

"This is about God's triumph over heresy."

"Forgive this Queen's ignorance Your Holiness, but I was not aware that we served such a bloodthirsty God."

"We serve the one true God, Henrietta, nothing more."

Henrietta noticed the Pope twirling something in his hands. It was the Queen's crystal wand.

The Pope turned and waived the wand at a piece of tarp covering something on the deck.

The tarp suddenly unwrapped and flew off.

Henrietta's face lost all color.

Standing before her was something that she had seen only once before. It was something that brought her hope during the Ancient Dragon Crisis when all hope had seemed lost.

_The Steel Dragon._

"Though not quite the same as the one Gandalfr brought with him when he returned to Halkeginia, it is a reasonable facsimile. Actually, it is a special golem made to mimic the weapon that was used to destroy the Ancient Dragon in Tristain. My familiar has already provided the golem with a rudimentary intelligence sufficient for it to fly to its target without any further commands."

"It's target?"

"Yes Your Majesty, Tristania."

Henrietta was suddenly engulfed in despair. She called to mind the day that Saito destroyed the Ancient Dragon with this miracle weapon. It was so powerful, _and fast. _The thought of unleashing such a thing on her citizens was enough to make her heart crumble to dust.

Paying her no mind, the Pope went on.

"While incapable of wielding the flaming Arrows of Destruction that Gandalfr's Dragon did, it does carry an equally, if not more, powerful item on board."

The Pope pulled an object from his robes; it was a jewel of fire.

"The golem carries five jewels in its belly, which will be more than enough to incinerate Tristania when it plunges into the city's heart."

The Queen could bear no more. Real tears flowed unceasingly from her eyes. She could barely speak, and only with great effort could she manage a single word.

"Why?"

"A rebirth. Halkeginia has been irredeemably polluted by Robert de Sable and his commoner's rebellion. And now a commoner monarch has the audacity to defy the one true God and sign a treaty with the elves!"

The Pope shook his head. "No that will not do, not at all."

"Therefore, we will test this golem on the Commoner King's beloved Tristania. If it is successful, we will send one to every capital city in Halkeginia."

The Pope closed his eyes as if to imagine the outcome. A serene expression dominated his features.

"And from these cleansing flames, a new Halkeginia will be born, a pure Halkeginia, a perfect caliphate, just as the Founder envisioned."

Henrietta stood there shaking almost uncontrollably, she felt a hatred unlike anything she had ever experienced save when King Joseph unleashed his version of Hell on the people of Aquileia.

But then, as though she was remembering something, Henrietta smiled.

"Go ahead, Your Holiness, build your Great Holy Empire. I sincerely hope that it spreads to every corner of Halkeginia and beyond."

She displayed a hateful smile to the Pope.

"Because none of it will ever matter."

"Really Your Majesty, I pray tell me why."

"Because the ones who created the _Steel Dragon_ and the weapons you have stored away in the Cathedral, will come to this world."

"They will fill our skies with a thousand _Steel Dragons,_ and they will descend on your Empire like an unholy plague and wipe it clean off the face of Halkeginia."

Henrietta's smile grew with each word she spoke.

Suddenly she began to laugh.

"And there is not a thing you can do about it….._Your Holiness."_

Those last two words escaped Henrietta's lips dripping with sarcasm.

Pope Artimus raised his hand as if to strike the Queen, but suddenly stopped himself.

He returned the Queen's smile.

"God is more than vengeance Your Majesty; God is also mercy and forgiveness."

Artimus pointed Henrietta's wand toward the dueling fleets and spoke forcefully in a magically amplified voice.

"Cease fire!"

The booming of cannon fire stopped.

Henrietta watched as the smoke slowly cleared. After a time, she began to discern the ships' battle flags through the haze. To her great distress, the Romalian colors far outnumbered those of Tristain. From the chaos caused by the battle, Henrietta could distinguish the Zero Fighter flying in and out from between the entangled fleets.

_Saito._

"Captain Rookwood!"

"Yes Your Holiness!"

"Order the fleet to stand down, and rendezvous with us."

Captain Rookwood bowed and left to carry out the Pope's orders.

"What are you playing at?" Henrietta asked the Pope.

"In the spirit of the Founder's mercy, I offer you and your brave subjects a chance at redemption."

He grabbed the Queen by her shoulders and maneuvered him in front of her.

"The corridor of wind magic that will carry our voices to them is open."

The Pope looked at the Queen matter-of-factly.

"Order them to surrender."

"Eh?"

"Do it Your Majesty, and I swear on the Founder himself, that I will spare their lives."

* * *

To say that Alexander was puzzled was an understatement. The Romalian fleet was backing off; even the relentless pursuit by the dragons had abated.

He briefly considered giving a pursuit but decided against it.

He put the Zero Fighter in a vertical loop, and flew back to check on the Tristainian fleet's condition.

* * *

Louise was exhausted. As she looked around the deck of the _Ostland, _she could see that her compatriots were of a similar state.

Tiffania was leaning against the wall of the _Ostland's _bridge breathing heavily, Montmorency tended to Guiche who had a large gash in his forehead, and Kirche knelt next to Tabitha, who in turn was leaning heavily on her staff. Both were out of breath.

Meanwhile on the bridge Professor Colbert and Irrukkuku were doing everything they could to keep _Ostland _flying.

"_Greetings Tristainian forces!"_

Louise looked up.

"What is that?" asked Kirche.

"Over there" said Tabitha, pointing at a very large ship in the distance.

"It's the Pope!" yelled Montmorency.

"_Today I commend your bravery! You have fought with valor and honor, but now it is time to give up this misguided quest for power! _

"_I stand here now; shoulder to shoulder with you own Queen Henrietta, who by the grace of our Founder, still lives! _

"_She has come to Romalia today, bearing a message of peace for our two nations!"_

* * *

"Your turn now Queen Henrietta, order their surrender."

Henrietta paused as she looked out at the devastated remnants of her air fleet.

"Say it, Your Majesty, and I promise them mercy."

"Tell me Your Holiness," Henrietta began, "what of Robert? Did you show him mercy as well?"

"That criminal who kidnapped yourself and Queen Charlotte? I accorded him the only mercy fit for commoner trash like him: a quick execution."

For what was certainly not the first time that day Henrietta shook with rage.

"Now," the Pope said with an expression of pure smugness. "Do you surrender?"

When Henrietta's next words were delivered, she delivered them like a Queen. Reaching her full height, she addressed the Pope of Romalia.

"NO! We will never, ever surrender! The people of Tristain will stand between you and the rest of Halkeginia until death! We will use every last ounce of our strength, every bit of our willpower, and finally we will use our bare hands and teeth to stop you! I won't stop until one us is in Hell today!"

The Pope merely smiled and raised his hands in resignation.

"If that is Your Majesty's true feelings, then you have left me little recourse."

He placed his hand to his forehead.

"_Lolindir, release the remaining dragons. Destroy them."_

* * *

"_I won't stop until one of us is in Hell today!"_

"Princess-sama!" Louise shouted as Henrietta's words reached the Tristainian fleet.

"The Queen is with the Pope?" Kirche asked.

Tabitha nodded.

Guiche suddenly started pointing.

"D-d-d-d-d-d"

"What is it? Guiche, would you just speak already?" Said Montmorency in frustration.

"DRAGONS!"

Rising up from the city, and bearing down on the broken, and battered Tristain air fleet, were nine fire dragons.

"_Explosion!"_

Louise and Tabitha shouted their spells in unison.

Several dragons detonated in spectacular displays of light and thunderous roaring.

The pair continued chanting, setting off _Explosions_ to detonate the fire jewels carried in the dragon's mouths before they got close enough to destroy the fleet.

Three dragons blew.

Four

Five

Seven

Two dragons remained, but it was no use. Their willpower drained, Louise and Tabitha could do no more.

The two dragons dove straight into the heart of what remained of their fleet.

_BOOM!_

The ensuing fireball quickly expanded, consuming everything in its path.

_Ostland _could not escape.

The seven mages on board screamed in their peril.

Kirche clung to Tabitha, whose eyes suddenly glazed over and turned black.

As if she were in a daze, the tiny blue haired Void Mage stood up and faced the oncoming inferno.

Kirche tried in vain to drag her friend back down to the deck and shield her from certain immolation.

Surrendering herself completely to the Void, Tabitha pointed her staff to the heavens and chanted.


	18. 15 Earth, Wind, and Fire

Author's Notes: Dear God in Heaven this chapter is a beast! It turned out way longer than I planned, but since this is the climatic final battle of this book, I went for broke. If you are a guest and don't get emailed updates, this chapter clocks in at just over 16,000 words. Add in the over 9,000 words of the previous chapter, I spent nearly 25,000 words depicting the Battle of Romalia.

Now I still have one more chapter to write for this book, as well as an epilogue. Yeah I know I said this would be it, but I had to split this battle into two chapters remember? The next chapter will set up the next book, and the epilogue will be a little peek at what Saito and Company will be facing.

Anyway, it took me nearly two weeks to write this chapter, so I really hope you enjoy it.

And enough of my mindless prattle; let's get this show on the road!

* * *

Queen Henrietta collapsed to the deck of the _Knight Hammer._ No matter how hard she might try, she could not stop the tears from flowing.

She had just watched her friends die.

After Pope Artimus the 19th had ordered his familiar, Lolindir Nenharma, the elven assassin, to send all the remaining dragons toward the Tristainian fleet, Henrietta saw them fall one after another as the Void Mages aboard _Ostland _did their best to detonate the fire jewels in the dragon's mouths and keep them from reaching the fleet.

However, their best was not good enough.

Two dragons slipped through.

Upon reaching the heart of the remnants of Her Majesty's Air Fleet, the two remaining dragons used their fire breath to detonate their fire jewels and destroy them.

The resulting energy release created a gigantic fireball that consumed every remaining vessel in the fleet.

Henrietta watched _Ostland _attempt to flee, but soon it too was overtaken by the flames.

That was the moment when the tears began.

The Queen lay sideways on the Romalian Flagship's deck, her arms supporting her torso as her shoulders heaved up and down with each sob.

One by one, the tears splashed against the wooden planks.

_Pat Pat Pat Pat_

A sudden noise got Henrietta's attention. It was familiar, and yet different.

The Zero Fighter burst from the edge of the fireball dragging a trail of flames behind it. The engine sounded ragged and rough. The entire craft was engulfed in flames.

The fighter craft suddenly pitched upward and rolled to the left, after a complete corkscrew it succumbed to gravity's pull. With a loud whine the aircraft plunged nose first toward the landscape.

Like a flaming meteor the plane fell, and Henrietta saw a patch of flames separate itself from the wreck, and begin its own journey to the waiting soil.

Only this piece of burning matter was in the shape of a man.

The Zero Fighter hit the ground and vanished in an eruption of flame, smoke, and twisted metal, while the man shaped pyre continued to spiral toward its own inevitable end.

Henrietta shut her eyes and turned away, her already broken heart could not bear to witness the impact.

At the sound of boots striking wood, Henrietta opened her eyes again.

She found herself looking at a pair of feet; her tear swollen eyes followed them up, and then stopped at the face they belonged to.

"So ends the legend of the Commoner King." Artimus said leering over her.

The two papal guards who restrained Henrietta when she had first been brought onboard now appeared on either side of her. They hauled the monarch to her feet and restrained her yet again, each guard holding one of the Queen's arms.

"Take her below," ordered the Pope. "I will need some time to figure out what to do with her."

The Pope turned his back to the Queen and began walking away.

Then the Queen suddenly broke free of her jailers and quickly snatched a dagger from the belt of one of them.

Henrietta held the blade up high, and with an anguished cry, charged straight at the anointed Holy Father of the Brimiric Faith.

Without warning, Artimus spun around, and pointed Henrietta's own wand at her.

The Queen saw a great white flash, and then…

_Nothing._

* * *

Amazingly, through the smoke and flame of his burning clothing he could still see the ground rapidly approaching. After bailing out of the Zero Fighter, his internal sensors picked up on the fact that gravity had taken over and quickly flashed a warning sign on his internal heads up display.

_Impact in 28 seconds…. _

The display counted down as he fell.

The burning flames had caused his outer skin to heat up to the point that temperature warnings were now joining the clock counting down to impact.

Alexander Dufresne was literally coming in hot.

He picked up speed as he fell, the wind rushed past him whipping up the flaming trail he left in his wake even more.

The Zero Fighter crashed, spewing flames and debris all over the landscape.

The clock on Alexander's internal display continued counting down to his own impending rendezvous with the terrain.

_Impact in 15 seconds….._

* * *

From the back of Karin's airborne manticore, Saito witnessed the final plunge of his beloved Zero Fighter, and the subsequent puff of dirt and dust that announced Alexander's own return to terra firma.

But none of those things registered with him.

Because after witnessing the _Ostland, _along with the rest of the Tristainian fleet,disappear into the conflagration spawned by the detonation of twin fire jewels, Saito only thought of one thing.

_Louise_

"LOUISE!"

Saito desperately scanned the scene, looking some sign, any sign that his wife might have survived.

He found none.

His eyes were unable to penetrate the thick cloud of dirt kicked up as one burning hulk after another hit the ground.

Saito began to sob uncontrollably, his fist ground into the meat of his leg over and over as he punched himself repeatedly. He would never forgive himself for leaving her behind.

"Saito" he heard as a hand came to rest upon his shoulder.

"Saito" he heard again, this time the hand shook him slightly.

"Saito!"

He whipped his head around to face Karin.

"Louise is still alive Saito."

"How is that possible?" Saito asked his mother in law. "How does anyone survive this?" He asked while pointing at the devastation wrought by the Pope's familiar.

"I don't know, but I do know that Louise lives."

Duchess Karin Valliere then reached to grasp Saito's left hand. She held it in such a way that the top of the hand was clearly displayed to Saito.

"Look."

Saito instantly saw what the Duchess referred to. On his left hand he could clearly see the runes of Gandalfr that were still firmly carved in.

As long as those runes remained in place, Saito's wife still lived.

Holding Saito by the shoulders, Karin looked her daughter's husband in the eye.

"Louise is my daughter Saito, I have faith in her. You should too."

Saito just nodded slowly.

Karin released him. "Let's go then. We still need to find that elf."

With that, Karin the Heavy Wind kicked her manticore's flanks and continued their journey into the Capital of Romalia.

* * *

_Slap!_

Robert de Sable awoke to a stinging sensation on his left cheek. On instinct he tried to rub the sore spot with his hand.

He found that he could not.

His arms, legs, and not to mention head and torso were bound and immobile. As he shook his head to clear his blurred vision, an object in front of him came into focus. He was staring at a basket, one just about the perfect size for a human head.

Robert was strapped into the guillotine.

To say that he was surprised was an understatement. How else was one to feel when he awakens encased in a killing machine?

_Slap!_

Again with the stinging sensation, this time on his right cheek.

Robert looked up and saw a well dressed noble crouched down at eye level.

"Well? Do I have your attention yet commoner?"

Robert shook his head in an attempt to dissipate the pain.

"Do any of you people even know the meaning of the word _courtesy_?"

The noble smiled.

"Actually, I was ordered to execute you immediately, but I decided that it would be more appropriate to wait until you were awake before I relieved you of your head."

The noble brought his face close to Robert's.

"It was the _courteous _thing to do."

Robert smiled back weakly.

"Forgive my rudeness; your Lordship is most gracious."

The noble chuckled, and chose to greet Robert's face with a closed fist, rather than the open palm.

"Do not mistake my generosity for weakness; I will not tolerate such insolence from commoner dogs like you."

"Then why don't you release the blade and be done with it?"

"In a hurry to get to hell commoner?"

"It would certainly be preferable to lying here listening to you prattle on."

Stars exploded in Robert's view as the noble's fist again connected with his cheek.

"I'm going to savor every moment of this commoner. I'm going to execute the famous Robert de Sable."

"Oh so you do know my name. Perhaps, in the interest of fairness, I could know yours?"

"My name is worth more than you deserve to hear peasant, but you can consider it a final gift. My name is Teague, Lord Alastair Teague."

"I'm sure no doubt, the product of a proud noble family. "

"You should be grateful commoner. The Pope left the disposal of your remains at my discretion. Your head will be afforded a place of honor above my fireplace mantle. There I will regal my guests of how you begged me for death like a coward rather than face me in honorable single combat."

With that, Teague brought out Robert's pouch and began to dig through the contents.

First out was the plasma discharge weapon that had left Henrietta speechless.

"Hmm, a child's toy perhaps?"

Robert smiled broadly, "Put it to your head and find out."

"Pass," Teague said as he casually tossed the future weapon aside.

"What is this? Commoners are reading now?"

Teague flipped through the pages of Robert's book and examined the cover.

"Bit of an odd title for a story don't you think?" He said while displaying the title to Robert.

The book was also cast aside.

Once Alastair had finished emptying out the contents of Robert's pouch, he knelt next to his face again.

"Any last words turnip?"

Robert smiled defiantly, and spit at the noble.

"Goodbye"

Alastair wiped his face off.

"Truer words were never spoken."

* * *

"There!" Saito shouted at Karin.

The Duchess turned to look at what Saito was pointing at.

From high above the Romalian capital, Saito had spotted a group of Romalian soldiers posted around a guillotine in one of the Capital City's squares.

Karin brought her manticore down for a closer look.

There were perhaps thirty soldiers surrounding the guillotine, and one well dressed person at the front of the machine, definitely a noble.

And furthermore, there was somebody strapped in the machine.

"I'm going down there!" Saito shouted over the wind. "Just be sure to cast _Levitation_ so I don't end up splattered all over the cobblestones."

"What about the elf?" Karin demanded.

"I've got to go and help that guy!" Saito replied.

Karin rolled her eyes and sighed.

Saito slid off the manticore and dropped a hundred mails or so down to the stone paved square. Saito felt himself slow as Karin cast _Levitation. _

Thirty Romalian mage knights pointed their wand canes at Saito as his feet touched the ground.

"Hi there", he said as he drew Derflinger.

His runes flared to life as the mage knights cast and unleashed their spells.

Saito became a blur as he dodged the spells and attacked the knights with the speed and agility given to him by Gandalfr's runes.

He was seeking to incapacitate, rather than kill. So as Saito visited each knight, he gave them Derflinger's hilt to the gut instead of the blade.

_Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!_

Saito moved effortlessly from one knight to the next.

The outcome should not have been a surprise.

For a man who had once stalled an army of seventy thousand, a squad of thirty was just a mere warm up.

Less than half a minute after touching down, the square was littered with the unconscious forms of thirty Romalian mage knights.

"Partner behind you!"

Saito turned at Derflinger's warning.

He brought the sentient blade up just as the wind blast reached him.

The spell was absorbed.

Alastair Teague was pointing his wand cane at Saito.

"The Commoner King has finally stepped out of the palace."

The pair circled each other, Saito was whirling Derflinger in his hands.

"And you are?" he asked.

"Lord Alastair Teague, your foe", Alastair replied.

Lord Teague smiled as they continued to circle the square, each not daring to take his eyes off the other.

"You know I should be thanking that incompetent elf I hired. Because of his failure, I get the pleasure of killing you myself."

Teague smiled even wider. "If you want something done right…"

Saito could feel the blood rise in his temples. In short, he felt his own wrath rise within him.

"You hired that elf to kill Louise and me. Why?"

"A commoner cannot be allowed to defile the once proud throne of Tristain!" Alastair raged, "Especially not one such as you, a lowly peasant dog who only achieved greatness by licking the boots of a schoolgirl!"

Saito glared at the noble.

"And now", Alastair said, "I will show you what true greatness is. I will prove to you, the true strength of nobility!"

He raised his wand cane above his head and chanted.

"_SPEED!_"

With a rush of wind, Alastair flew at Saito, who just barely managed to bring Derflinger up to counter. The weapons met with a loud _Clang _and the force of the impact sent Saito flying backwards.

He landed flat on his back.

Alastair swung at the now prone Saito, who rolled away just in time. Regaining his footing, Saito began to press his own attack. The sentient katana clashed with the wand cane again and again, each blow producing a small shower of sparks.

Lord Teague's spell, _Speed_, gave him the ability to literally move like the wind. It was the wind mage's answer to the swiftness and agility of Gandalfr.

To the stationary observer, the two combatants were an indecipherable blur of motion, stopping only to attack the other.

The cycles of attack, defend, and move, repeated over and over for several minutes, until finally Teague was able to force Saito's hand.

He stepped next to the guillotine and pressed the blade release.

"Partner!"

Saito threw Derflinger, who ended up wedged neatly between the guillotine blade and the lunette that secured the neck of Robert de Sable.

However, Saito was now without a weapon, and thus was not able to use his familiar's abilities.

Teague charged at Saito, prepared to run him through with his wand cane, but Saito, who'd been through many battles, anticipated this, and was already sidestepping the moment Derflinger left his hand.

Even so, Teague's thrust missed Saito only by milliseconds.

"Saito!" Robert called from the guillotine. "Over there!" he gestured with his head toward the ground.

It was Robert's weapon, the one that Alastair had casually thrown aside earlier while he went through Robert's pouch.

Saito ran and leapt. Alastair made a cut at Saito's legs just as he did so. The wand cane passed under Saito's feet and the King landed on his hands, the left one grasping Robert's weapon.

Saito's runes lit up again, his eyes bulged, and he drew in a sharp breath as the blazing runes told Saito just what it was that he held in his hand.

_No Way!_

Saito continued his forward momentum; he rolled completely over, and came to his feet.

He spun and aimed the plasma discharge pistol at Alastair.

Alastair's face went from smug superiority to shock.

Saito depressed the pistol trigger, and sent pulse after pulse of yellow superheated plasma at Alastair Teague.

Teague's _Speed_ enabled him to dodge the blasts, but only barely, each missed shot impacted on the building behind him, leaving scorched craters on their otherwise beautiful facades.

One shot grazed Alastair's leg, vaporizing a small chunk of flesh. The next shot struck his wand cane…..and melted it.

With a wounded leg, and no wand to channel his magic, Lord Teague fell to the ground.

Saito stood all the way up and approached Teague. He stood over the noble while pointing the futuristic pistol at his head.

"Go ahead commoner, kill me! You'll still just be a peasant dog! You were born a dog, you'll die a dog, and no title or noble woman's tits will ever change that!"

Lord Teague slowly got to his feet and began to limp toward Saito.

"You're not going to do it are you?" Alastair chuckled. "Not only are you a dog, but you're a weak dog at that."

He limped right up to Saito, who was still pointing the weapon at him. Teague pressed his forehead right up against the pistol's plasma emitter.

"What are you waiting for? Do it!"

Saito's finger trembled over the trigger. This arrogant piece of noble trash had tried to have him killed. He tried to have Louise killed. Because of that one fact alone Saito hated him more than he'd hated anyone before, even more than King Joseph.

But despite Saito's unquenchable fury, he knew that if he killed this unarmed noble, he'd be throwing away everything he believed in.

Teague's contemptible smile vanished as Saito brought the pistol across his temple. Lord Teague collapsed to the ground in an unconscious heap.

"Partner", Derflinger said, "do you mind getting me out of here?"

The sword was still wedged in beneath the guillotine's decapitating blade.

Saito pointed the plasma pistol at the device's top frame, and fired. The blast blew the frame to pieces and enabled Saito to remove the machine's blade and pull Derflinger free.

A few moments later, Saito had its occupant up and out of the machine.

Then Saito recognized his face.

"Thank you Saito", said Robert de Sable. You know for a second I thought I was really….."

In the next instant, Robert was sprawled out on the cobblestones holding his nose in his cupped hands. When he looked up again, the tip of Derflinger was pointed less than an inch from his face.

Saito stood over Robert, giving him a look of death.

"That is for shooting Louise and me with those beanbags in Tristainia."

Saito leaned in close.

"Now, where is the Queen?"

"We were both captured by the elf, I would guess that she is with the Pope, probably on that monstrosity up there", he said, pointing at the large Romalian warship hanging in the distance.

"Fine, but as soon as she is found, you and I going to have a long-"

Saito and Robert both turned at the same time. An incoming roar got their attention. The closer the roar got, the louder it became, until finally:

_Boom!_

A tall figure landed hard in the square. The cobblestones bent and cracked outward in a perfectly round pattern extending several mails out from where it landed.

Saito recognized the figure immediately. It was the elf that tried to kill him and his wife back in Tristania.

Lolindir Nenharma, the elven assassin.

The familiar of Pope Artimus the 19th.

The elf raised his hand and the broken stones from the square's pavement and debris from the surrounding buildings rose into the air.

The stone chunks formed up neatly in ever expanding circles over the elf's head. Each circle of debris rotated in the opposite direction of the one inside it.

"Friend of yours?" asked Robert.

"This guy tried to kill Louise and me back in Tristania."

The elf approached Saito and Robert dragging his hanging debris field with him.

The elf glared at the Commoner King.

"I cannot sense the elven stone on your person."

The elven assassin smiled with glee.

"There will be no one coming to save you this time."

Saito raised Derflinger as he readied himself for combat.

"_Saito",_ Robert whispered. _"You'd better give me that pistol now."_

Saito cautiously handed Robert the plasma weapon that he brought from the future.

Lolindir lowered his hand in a chop like motion, and one by one the stone chunks from the floating debris flew towards the two commoners.

Saito leapt in front of Robert. Derflinger became a whirling blur as Saito deflected one piece of stone after another.

While Saito did this, Robert adjusted the settings on the plasma weapon to maximum output.

Then he opened fire.

Shot after shot of superhot plasma collided with the elven assassin's counter barrier. These blasts would melt through a six foot cube of titanium. Yet against elven nature magic, Robert might as well have been throwing rocks.

Lolindir stopped his assault and laughed. Then he caused the remaining debris to coalesce above his head and fused them into one giant rubble pile. With a wave of his two hands the giant pile of debris flew toward Saito and Robert.

The monarch and the revolutionary got out of the massive pile's way. It hit the ground with a loud crash just as the two rolled to the side.

Robert turned the settings dial one last time and then threw the plasma pistol at the elf.

It landed at the assassin's feet.

"Get down!" cried Robert as he wrapped his arms around Saito and drove him into the cobblestones.

Lolindir looked down at the strange weapon now lying at his feet. He noticed a flashing red light and the strange noise that it was emitting over and over. It started as a slow repeat, but quickly sped up.

_Beep…..Beep Beep..Beep BeepBeepBeepBeepBeepBeepBeepBeep._

Suddenly the device exploded. The force of the blast lifted the elf into the air and threw him backward into one of the damaged churches behind him.

Saito and Robert stood watching as the building collapsed, burying the elf under tons of debris.

"What did you do?" asked Saito.

"I set it to overload", Replied Robert.

"Well, uh…thanks," said Saito.

Saito offered his hand to Robert.

Robert slowly took Saito's hand and gave a firm shake.

He turned to leave, but Saito would not release his hand.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Robert stared at Saito.

"Were you not paying attention? I told you that Queen Henrietta is up there," said Robert while pointing to the large Romalian warship floating in the distance.

"You still have a lot to answer for."

"Fine, try me, convict me, and execute me. But do it _after_ we get Henrietta."

Saito seemed to chew on Robert's words. He was right, the safety of Queen Henrietta was more important than dealing with Robert at the moment.

Just then pieces of debris exploded from the building that had collapsed around the elven assassin.

Robert and Saito watched in shock as Lolindir Nenharma rose from the rubble and faced them.

Saito pushed Robert by the shoulder. "Go!"

Robert looked back Saito confused.

"Go! Help Henrietta! I'll handle this guy."

Robert nodded and ran off.

It was while running that he realized that he hadn't the faintest idea how he was going to get to that ship up there.

_Oh, well_, he thought, _one thing at a time. I just have to make one quick stop first._

* * *

Saito twirled Derflinger in his hands as the elf floated towards him, an evil smile spreading across his lips.

The elf held out his left hand, and green streams of gathering nature energy began to coalesce in his palm. He drew his hand back to strike Saito.

_Whoom!_

A sudden blast of air slammed into the elf from his left side, he was again thrown into one of the buildings surrounding the city square.

Karin the Heavy Wind landed her manticore and dismounted next to Saito.

"He's powerful", Said Karin.

Saito held up Derflinger. "Together then?"

Karin nodded. "Together."

Saito and Karin turned to face the elf as he leapt out of the hole he had made in the building.

* * *

Tabitha slowly woke up.

She was lying on her back on the deck of the _Ostland._ Kirche was lying unconscious on top of her.

Tabitha slowly wiggled free and stood. As she looked around, Tabitha realized that she would have to rethink her assessment. She wasn't just on board the _Ostland._

She was on board what was left of the _Ostland._

The entire back half of the ship, including the wings and engines, were obliterated. They seemed to have crashed in the open field surrounding the Romalian Capital.

They were surrounded by the burning hulks of ships that once made up their fleet.

Tabitha looked around the deck; her friends were sprawled out everywhere. Louise, Tiffania, Guiche, Montmorency, and Kirche were all there, but not moving.

_Colbert and Irukkuku must still be inside the ship, _she thought.

Unable to tell if her friends were alive or dead, Tabitha began poking them one by one to try and wake them, starting with Kirche.

To her immense relief, her friend stirred and opened her eyes.

"What happened?" asked Kirche after she stood up.

"We crashed."

"How—how did we survive?"

Tabitha pointed upward.

Surrounding the deck and bridge of the _Ostland's_ wreck, was a semi-spherical spell similar to the wind spell _Barrier_. But this barrier was different. It buzzed and crackled with an energy that Tabitha had never seen before.

One by one, the other mages began to wake up. Each expressed their astonishment at their survival, and of the strange purple energy barrier that was apparently the reason their lives were spared.

Colbert and Irukkuku were the last to wake up. After exiting the smashed bridge, Colbert too expressed his amazement at Tabitha's miracle spell.

"Professor", asked Louise, "What is that? I've never seen that spell before."

Jean Colbert thought for a moment and snapped his fingers.

"Amazing!" he exclaimed. "It's a Void Barrier!"

"Huh?" everyone said all at once.

"Void has been a lost element for thousands of years and there is, quite frankly, a lot that we do not understand yet. But it would appear that this is Void Barrier. but I have never come across any records of anything like that happening before."

"Void cancels magic out." Explained Professor Colbert. "The _Void Barrier_ put up by Queen Charlotte was a wall of void energy that the flames released by the elven fire jewels could not penetrate.

Colbert spoke excitedly as he explained his theory to the mages. It was like they were all back at the Magic Academy, with Colbert giving a lecture to his mage pupils.

"It would seem that this spell would be able to temporarily protect a void user from the effects of elven magic."

Professor Colbert looked around at the shattered remains of his beloved _Ostland._

"Unfortunately, she wasn't able to extend the barrier around the entire ship."

The seven mages watched in awe as Tabitha's _Barrier _crackled with purple energy and then faded away.

Suddenly, a figure approaching from the distance got everyone's attention.

Somebody was walking towards them.

The mages took their wands out and pointed them in the direction of their unexpected visitor.

However, once the lone hiker came close enough to be recognized, the mages relaxed.

Alexander Dufresne had found them at last.

Seeing the android's somewhat disheveled and burnt state, Professor Colbert became concerned about him.

"What happened to you?"

"I was engulfed by the fireball that destroyed the fleet. The Zero Fighter was also destroyed."

The mages gasped all at once and immediately thought of the aircraft's owner.

Saito was not going to be pleased.

Alexander looked around at the assembled mages and took a quick inventory.

"Where is Saito?"

"He left with my Mother aboard her manticore for the Capital; he said he was going after the elf", said Louise.

"He what?"

Alexander looked more than just concerned, he seemed horrified.

He looked over to Louise.

"Your Majesty," he began, "cast _Dispel_ on me."

"Eh?"

"Do it! I can probably still save your husband."

Louise nodded and pulled out her wand.

Alexander turned to Tabitha.

"Queen Charlotte, take my hand, I am going to give you my memories, I want you to focus on the memory of me fighting the elf, I want you to see his image, and concentrate on that, concentrate on finding him."

Tabitha nodded as Louise began chanting.

"_Ful blisars"_

Tabitha took Alexander's hand and his memories began to flow into her mind.

"_Ansul Ken"_

Tabitha began searching for the memory that Alexander had described, but suddenly she saw something that got her attention.

Something in Alexander's memories…..

Tabitha began to breathe heavily; she turned and glared at the android.

_"Gyofu need nousis"_

"You!" Tabitha breathed. "It's you, but….."

Tabitha shut her eyes and cried as the memories continued to assault her brain.

_"Heilos iala"_

"How could you…just abandon him? You were supposed to be his friend!"

"Why didn't you save him?"

Alexander faced the Queen.

"The elf, Your Majesty, find the elf!"

_"Elpeo"_

Tabitha concentrated harder. She found Alexander's memory of the elf. She then focused her mind on finding him. She wanted to find him. She had to find him….at all costs.

_"Y 's!"_

Her spell complete, Louise lowered her wand at Alexander.

The android began to glow a bright white as the spell hit him.

"Your Majesty, the elf?" asked Alexander.

"I have him", said Tabitha.

"Then by all means Your Majesty."

Tabitha gripped her staff tightly, and focused her willpower.

_Choom!_

Then android and the mage distorted and vanished from the deck of the crashed _Ostland._

"Please", whispered Louise. "Save Saito."

She then turned to Irukkuku.

I need to get to the Capital. Can you take me to Saito?

Irukkuku nodded and before their eyes, she became Sylpheed the rhyme dragon.

Louise climbed aboard.

"Wait!"

It was Tiffania.

"I'm coming too!"

"Are you sure? This is going to be dangerous."

"It's not that I want to go."

Louise looked annoyed.

"Then what is it?"

Tiffania held up the elven spirit stone that she had been carrying with her ever since the elf attacked Louise and Saito.

The one that was created by Lord Bidashal and given as a gift to Saito.

"This stone is telling me to go."

* * *

Deep in the bowels of the catacombs of the Cathedral of Brimir, Robert de Sable prepared for battle.

He gathered all the weapons that his pouch could hold pistols, ammo clips and a few other items.

Robert examined a P90 submachine gun. He loaded a clip of ammo and pulled back the charging handle.

_Ch-chack!_

* * *

Queen Henrietta woke up staring at Romalia's clear blue sky. She tried to sit up, but quickly realized that she could not. She looked at her left and right wrists.

She was lashed to something.

Henrietta began to squirm and struggle against the ropes that bound her, but her efforts proved futile.

She could not get free.

After realizing her predicament, Henrietta's first thought was to scream for help, but she then realized where she was, and that the idea of somebody coming to save her was ridiculous.

Besides, she wasn't going to give the Pope or any of his soldiers the satisfaction.

She looked up as much as her head would allow, and stared straight back until she could see in between her feet, which were similarly lashed.

She saw a long vertical fin rise up from the back of the object that she was tied to. Her eyes popped as she realized just what it was that she was strapped to.

It was the golem made to resemble the _Steel Dragon._

The one that was going to be sent to destroy Tristania.

Henrietta screamed.

"Ahh Your Majesty is awake I see", said the Pope with satisfaction.

"What are you doing get me down this instant!" Henrietta yelled in frustration.

"Now why would I wish to do that? I would have thought that Your Majesty would like to be with your beloved people when their God comes to collect them."

"Henrietta stared down at the Pope with pure hatred.

"You're a monster, and history will never forgive you."

The Pope smiled.

"Those who write history must first live through it, and I fear Your Majesty, that you will not."

Pope Artimus began to walk away.

"I suggest that you use these last moments on reflection and repentance. God may yet show mercy when you meet his judgment."

* * *

_Whoom!_

A blast of wind threw Karin and Saito back once more.

Both sat up. Saito was breathing heavily.

"This is bad Partner", Said Derflinger. "Every spell gets reflected back."

The sentient sword was right. Every spell, every time, was returned to Karin and Saito. They had made no headway against the elf at all.

"We need Louise", Said Saito.

Thinking of Louise, Saito suddenly looked at his familiar's runes. They shone brightly as he was clutching Derflinger. The last time Saito saw Louise, was when he left the _Ostland _with his mother in law to find the elf and stop him. Since then he witnessed the Pope's fire jewels destroy the Tristainian fleet and devour the _Ostland _in flames. But those runes gave him hope; those runes meant that somehow, some way, Louise was still alive.

But where was she.

Saito looked over at Karin the Heavy Wind, she was breathing heavy as well. Karin was perhaps the most powerful wind mage in all of Halkeginia, even more powerful than Tabitha.

And yet even her potent spells were unable to penetrate the elf's _Counter _barrier.

As long as that barrier protected the elf, Saito and Karin could not touch him.

Saito shook his head and thought once again, _we need Louise._

_Choom!_

Saito and Karin saw two figures suddenly materialize in front of them. More accurately, they seemed to rapidly unfurl out of thin air.

It was Tabitha and Alexander.

Saito saw the pure white light radiating off of Alexander. He gave a victorious fist pump as he realized what it was.

Alexander was carrying _Dispel._

Tabitha released Alexander's hand. The android immediately raced toward the elven assassin. He made a fist with one hand, cupped it in his other. As he approached he reared his arms back and delivered a haymaker to the elf's chin.

The _Counter _barrier shattered like fragile glass as Alexander's cupped fist landed on its target.

The impact lifted the elf off of his feet and sent him flying backward.

Lolindir landed on his back, Alexander brought his foot up to stomp on his face, but the elf rolled to the side and dodged.

He then kicked up and knocked the android's feet from under him.

_His strength is immense, _thought Alexander. The android was made of lightweight materials, but he was still a great deal heavier than a normal human. The fact that the elf was able to sweep his feet out from under him so easily, spoke volumes about his physical strength.

Due to the fact that elven nature magic was known to be extremely powerful, and their _Counter_ nearly impenetrable, Alexander was not the first to wonder how well an elven warrior could handle himself in single unarmed combat.

Alexander found himself flying across the square face first into a building.

_Apparently they handle themselves pretty well._

Tabitha and Karin launched their own assaults. Tabitha let loose with _Windy Icicle, _while Karin sent a tsunami of wind towards the elf.

Lolindir Nenharma hardened his body and the ice projectiles bounced off harmlessly. Karin's _Breaking Wind _flew at him and the elf caught the spell with his hands and began to funnel it into the space in between them. He intended to gather the spell's energy and throw it back toward his enemies, just like he did with Louise's _Explosion _back in Tristania.

Karin poured more and more magic into her spell, hoping to overwhelm him with it.

The wind magic continued to accumulate between the elf's hands. After a time it finally reached the point of oversaturation.

The elf could channel no more. He felt himself being pushed back.

With a cry, Lolindir threw his arms outward.

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

The energy that he'd gathered was released in all directions. It spread out like a shockwave, whatever building windows that had survived the battle up to this point, exploded in row after row as the wave traveled down the streets that fed into the square.

The elf landed flat on his back once more. Tabitha and Karin were thrown back in the opposite direction. Neither party seemed to be able gain the upper hand.

The elven assassin slowly got back to his feet, he felt something wet coming from his nose, and he wiped it from his face and looked at his fingers.

_Blood_

Seemingly enraged by the sight of his blood, the elf let out a primal growl.

He stretched his hands out toward Karin, Tabitha, and Saito.

_"Explosion!"_

The elf was blasted back once more.

Louise and Tiffania landed Sylpheed and ran over to join the battle.

Saito felt a wave of relief wash over him as he caught sight of his wife.

Karin, however, was not nearly so joyful.

"Louise!"

"I'm here mother, I'm fighting with you!"

"Foolish child, it's not safe here!"

No matter how many battles Louise had survived, no matter how many times she heard the stories of the Legendary Void Mage and her courageous familiar, whenever her daughter was with her, Karin still saw her little Louise, and wanted to protect her.

Karin looked at the elf, who'd already gotten back to his feet, but this time, her enemy's gait was different.

He was limping.

It would seem that Louise had managed to finally hurt the elf.

Without its _Counter _barrier, the elf was vulnerable to magic.

Karin could destroy him.

She made a decision.

Karin strode out to the center of the city square, which was now completely devastated by the magical battles that had taken place there. Piles of debris were everywhere.

The elf gave Karin a puzzled expression; she just smiled back at her enemy.

"Saito, take Louise and her friends out of here, make sure they are safe."

Karin turned to look at her son in law.

"I never properly thanked you for taking Louise's place in Albion. You have my gratitude. Thank you."

Saito and Louise both stood shocked. Karin had never thanked Saito for anything. They had always believed that Louise's mother had never seen Saito as anything other than a commoner.

But now, Karin the Heavy Wind was smiling affectionately at him, and offering her gratitude.

Saito wasn't sure what to say.

But Karin wasn't finished.

"You have proven yourself worthy of my Louise many times over." She paused to look Saito in the eye and spoke earnestly.

"I am proud to call you my son."

Saito was floored. A wave of emotion burst from within his heart. Tears ran down his cheeks. Louise came and held her husband.

Karin took one last long look at the couple, and turned to face her foe.

She raised her wand, and a circle of wind rose up from the center of the square, encapsulating both combatants. The wind forming the barrier of the circle thickened and spun faster and faster. Eventually, the winds became opaque and Karin and the elf were no longer visible to outside observers.

Saito, Tabitha, Louise and Tiffania found themselves staring at a massive tornado.

"Get back!" yelled Saito.

"What is she doing?" screamed Louise.

Tabitha looked up at the whirling vortex.

"She's fighting the elf."

Louise's eyes grew wide, the realization of her mother's plan hitting her like a punch to the gut.

In order to keep her daughter out of the fight and safe from harm, Karin the Heavy Wind was going to face the elf alone.

* * *

Robert de Sable ran down the empty streets of Romalia. Returning to the square where he had left Saito and the elf, he found the Commoner King and his wife the Queen along with Charlotte and a blond female elf.

None were paying attention to him. They were transfixed by the giant tornado spinning in the center of the square that was getting larger by the second.

Robert looked around. If he was going to get Queen Henrietta off that ship he was going to need some transportation.

Soon he found what he needed.

Queen Charlotte's rhyme dragon.

The beast was hiding behind a pile of rubble watching as the tornado swept up more and more debris from the square.

Robert ran up to the dragon waving his arms.

"Hey, dragon, Uhhhhhh….. Sylpheed right?"

Sylpheed looked at the strange commoner who just ran up to her with interest. People aren't normally in the habit of walking up to strange dragons and starting conversations. It's just not prudent.

Sylpheed reared back and snarled when she recognized just who this particular commoner was.

"You! You kidnapped sis and took her away!"

"Yes, and I'm sorry about that, but right now I need your help!"

Sypheed growled at Robert.

"Go away."

Robert stood stoically and faced down the angry dragon.

"I will not."

Sylpheed brought her face inches Roberts and roared. Her breath blew Roberts hair all around and caused him to reflexively shut his eyes. Slime and spittle landed on Robert's face and clothes.

"Leave or be eaten."

"Look, Queen Henrietta is in danger. I need to get to that ship!"

Robert pointed up to the large warship still floating just outside of Romalia.

"Why should I help you, you hurt my ears!"

Robert grimaced as he recalled the night he took Henrietta and Charlotte. He had used a device that put out a high frequency squeal that incapacitated all the mages in the ballroom that night. He realized that the device must have been many times worse for the rhyme dragon to endure.

"If I don't do something, Henrietta will probably die! I can't fly up to that ship by myself. I need your help!"

Sylpheed growled again.

Robert paid it no mind.

"You have a choice dragon. Either kill me or help me! Because I am not leaving! Now decide!"

Sylpheed sat there for several moments, considering the brave, or extremely stupid, commoner before her.

Robert prodded her again.

"Decide!"

* * *

Back at the wreck of the _Ostland _Jean Colbert, and the rest of the mages that remained did their best to salvage what they could.

Suddenly Guiche heard a rumbling in the distance.

"What's that?" Guiche asked pointing toward the city of Romalia.

Colbert grabbed a strange oblong device that he had built using Saito's descriptions of it, A spyglass he called it?

The Professor put it to his eye and looked.

He saw an army, a big one.

Just in front of the city gates, were thousands and thousands of men marching toward the beleaguered Tristainian Army and the remnants of its destroyed fleet.

Having dealt with the intense pounding by both the Romalian air fleet and the elven fire jewels, the Tristainians were no longer in any shape to fight, and the Romalians knew it.

They were sending in the cleanup crew, and the Tristaininas didn't stand a chance.

"Jean?" Kirche leaned in close to Professor Colbert, and looked up at him, not out of affection, which was her normal, but out of fear.

The professor embraced Kirche reassuringly, but remained silent, uttering no words of comfort to the frightened young woman. He couldn't think of any to say.

* * *

Beckett reorganized the tattered remains of his army when his second in command saw the Romalian forces approaching in the distance.

"Tactical analysis Chesare?" asked Beckett.

"Were doomed", replied a smiling Julio. "But we can give them hell before we go."

Beckett smiled too, and drew his sword.

"FORWARD!" he commanded.

The Tristainins marched forward, taking up position between the hulks of the destroyed fleet and the approaching enemy.

"We make our stand here", commanded Beckett. We can at least give the survivors in the fleet a chance to make their escape."

Julio nodded. "To glory then."

* * *

The massive tornado began to move out of the Romalian Capital and was soon swirling and began making its way towards the Romalian fleet.

But deep within the churning maelstrom, Karin the Heavy Wind fought the mad elf in single combat.

One on one until death.

Karin, being the most skilled wind mage in Halkeginian history, was enjoying a profound advantage. She was fighting on her own turf. The swirling winds were hers to command, to shape in any way she choose, while the Pope's elven familiar was merely an unwelcome guest in her house.

Karin cast _Barrier_ on herself for protection from the spinning winds, then she used those winds to send piece after piece of debris to crash into the elf.

Lolindir, without his _Counter_ to protect him, was vulnerable to both magic and physical attack, but he was able to use his eleven nature magic to grant him some degree of movement within the spinning winds.

He weaved in and out of the edifying air currents and effortlessly dodged the riffraff that Duchess Valliere threw at him.

Both combatants hovered in the center of the tornado.

The battle continued, and would continue, until one of them fell.

* * *

Louise watched as the tornado carrying her mother and the elf rotated and snaked its way out of the city. When she was finally able to take her eyes off the spectacle she noticed something was missing.

"Where's Sylpheed?"

* * *

From her place atop the flying golem, Queen Henrietta strained to see what the commotion is all about. Moving her head as much as she could manage, she was finally able to glimpse the tornado that was driving the ship's crew into such frenzy.

It was bearing down on the Romalian fleet and would be here in minutes.

Through the shouts and orders that Captain Rookwood gave his crew, Henrietta was able to overhear a command given by the Pope.

"Release the golem."

Henrietta shut her eyes tight and exhaled softly. She was not afraid to die. As the Queen of Tristain, she'd rode off to battle many times in the past, fully prepared to sacrifice herself for her people if necessary.

But now she would be able to do nothing but watch as they died in a massive firestorm.

And she would die with them.

Abruptly, a shadow moved across the deck of the ship. Staring up at the while lying flat on the golem's back, Henrietta glimpsed a flash of blue that streaked across her view.

Her heart leapt with hope.

_Was that Sylpheed?_

She turned her head to right and landing on the ship's deck, with a rider on its back, was Queen Charlotte's familiar.

The rider leapt from the dragon's back and ran to the golem.

Henrietta heard the unmistakable _Clang _of a sword striking the ropes that held the Queen to the golem's back.

She slid sideways off the golem's fuselage, and dropped into the man's arms.

Henrietta was overjoyed; her heart was pounding in her chest.

There was only one man who would ever face such odds to come and rescue her from this disaster.

She opened her eyes and looked up at the face of her savior.

"Sai-"

Queen Henrietta stared up and recognized the face of one Robert de Sable.

Realizing that she was being literally held in his arms, she pushed Robert away and stood up.

Almost immediately, they were set upon by the mage knights.

Robert grabbed the Queen by the arm and dragged her off to find cover behind a stack of cannonballs on the ship's deck.

Henrietta fumed as the mage knights' spells whizzed over their heads.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she yelled at Robert over the cacophony of battle.

'Robert started at the Queen with a dumbfounded expression.

"On Saito's world it's commonly known _as saving your ass_!" Robert yelled back.

With that Robert brought up a strange looking weapon, he aimed it at the mage knights and opened fire.

A strange buzzing noise emerged from the weapon. Henrietta watched as the mage knights were cut down one after the other.

The knights began to take cover behind cannons and barrels on the deck as Robert continued to send round after round of gunfire towards them.

_Clickclickclickclickclick._

The weapon was empty.

Robert began to fumble around in his pouch for another clip.

"Here, hold this" He handed the bag to Henrietta as he reloaded the weapon.

The Queen placed her hand in the pouch and began to look inside of it, Soon she pulled out a strange round object. It looked almost like a child's toy.

It was a ball, with a point at the top and a weird piece of metal for a cap. The metal hung off the side of the ball's tip and another piece of metal held that one in place.

Like a pin.

At the one end of the pin, it curved around and bent back upon itself forming a ring just big enough for a finger.

Fascinated by the curious object, Henrietta placed her finger in the ring and pulled.

The pin slid out effortlessly.

The metal cap, no longer being held in place, came off the ball and fell to the deck.

Henrietta panicked.

"Robert?" she yelled. "I think I might have broken this."

Robert's eyes widened in shock as he realized what the Queen had done.

"Give me that!" he screamed as he snatched the ball from the Queen's hands.

Using an overhand motion, Robert tossed the ball over the cannonballs they hid behind.

He grabbed Henrietta and pushed her to the deck.

"Get down!"

The mage knight commander watched as a ball flew up and over the enemy's cover and bounced onto the deck. It rolled over and stopped at the commander's feet.

Curious, he bent over and picked up the object.

_It looks like a child's toy._

The commander began to laugh as he waived at his men to come out of hiding.

"Look!" he called out derisively as he showed the object to his men, "the commoner is throwing toys!"

_Kaboom!_

The object exploded in the knight commander's hand sending pieces of him and his men in all directions.

Henrietta shrieked as the explosion rocked the ship's deck.

Slowly and cautiously, her and Robert peeked over the top of their hiding place and surveyed the scene.

It was a picture of gory devastation.

Blood and entrails were scattered everywhere.

Henrietta placed her hand over her mouth to stifle a gag.

They stood up and walked out of hiding.

Henrietta clung to Robert as she stepped carefully; trying to avoid the body parts and pools of blood that now littered the wide open deck of the _Knight Hammer._

She buried her face in his chest, unable to look at the carnage anymore.

"That object, it was another weapon from Saito's world?"

"Yes."

Robert placed his hand on the back of her head and stroked her hair.

"It's a grenade, a small hand held bomb."

Robert looked around at the gore and bloodshed around him.

"It's very effective."

He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze.

"Come on, we're leaving."

Henrietta gave a slight nod, and the pair began to walk back toward the other side of the deck where he left Sylpheed.

Robert whistled.

"Kyui Kyui" replied the dragon.

Sylpheed had changed into her human form and was hiding behind a stack of barrels.

"Is it safe?" she asked.

'Yes Sylpheed, you can come out now.

With a flash of light, Sylpheed was a dragon once more. She now towered over her former hiding place.

Abruptly something landed on the ship's deck with a_ thwump_!

It was a giant manticore.

Saito, Louise, Tabitha, and Tiffania climbed of the beast's back.

"Princess-sama!" Louise cried out as she ran over and embraced her friend.

Both women hugged each other tightly. They had not seen one another in months.

Louise grasped Henrietta by her shoulders. Tears were streaming down her face.

"I am so happy that you are alive!"

They hugged again.

"Look!"

Tiffanina pointed down to the other end of the ship.

A strange winged golem rose up and took to the sky.

Saito turned pale. That thing looked very familiar to him. It looked just like the jet fighter that he stole in order to defeat the Ancient Dragon. Although he did not remember them being able to take off vertically like that.

"Was that a jet?" asked Robert.

Henrietta shook her head.

"It's a golem the Pope and his familiar made to look like the _Steel Dragon._ It has fire jewels inside of it and it's going to attack Tristania!"

Everyone stood in silence. If a fire jewel exploded in Tristania, the loss of life would be extreme.

Tabitha spoke. "We have to stop it."

All nodded. Tabitha Robert and Henrietta climbed aboard Sylpheed. Tiffania, Saito and Louise took the manticore.

The two beasts rose into the sky and chased after the golem.

* * *

Professor Colbert and the young mages watched as the Pope's mercenary army bore down on their position. Thousand, no, tens of thousands of well armed mercenary soldiers broke out into a run and began closing the distance between them.

But it wasn't just men that made up the menacing formation. Orcs, trolls, and all manner of demi-humans towered here and there over the rank and file troops.

Montmorency, Guiche, Kirche and Colbert pointed their wands at the advancing troops. Colbert could see the Army of Commoners that has accompanied the fleet from Tristain had taken up position between them and the enemy, but it would not enough. The fire jewels had inflicted heavy losses on the Army, and it was now a fraction of its former strength.

Montmorecy stood next to Guiche, who gave her hand a gentle reassuring squeeze. She looked up at Guiche. He was the consummate womanizer, always chasing the next skirt that crossed his path, and no matter how infuriated she became with him and his philandering ways, her heart still ached without him around.

Despite all her reservations, she loved him unconditionally. And if she was going to die today, she would die next to her beloved Guiche.

A short distance away, Kirche von Zerbst stood with her love, Professor Jean Colbert. Kirche had once held nothing but contempt for this man. When Albion declared war on Tristain all the male students were sent to fight. Colbert however, stayed behind to continue teaching, while publically denouncing the war, and eschewing the idea of fighting.

Kirche merely thought him a coward. Because for someone like Kirche, who hailed from a land where men were expected to be warriors and to fight and die at moment's notice, there was no greater dishonor than a man who refused to fight.

But that was before Albion mercenaries invaded the magic academy.

Before Menvil.

Menvil was the mad, extremely gifted fire mage who led the attack on the school. This was a man who liked nothing better than the smell of burning flesh. During the battle to save the students who'd been taken hostage, Kirche in her arrogance faced Menvil alone and was defeated. As she lay defenseless, Menvil said that he wanted to smell her flesh burning. He told her that he would find the act of watching her be consumed by flames pleasurable. Kirche watched in horror as the mad mage began to cast the spell that would make his sick fantasy a reality.

However, just as she had resigned to death, Menvil was stopped by Colbert. After that day, Kirche saw the Professor in a whole new light, he was not the contemptible coward that she believed him to be, he was a man who had simply seen more than his share of death, and did not wish to see anymore.

From that day forward, Kirche, who'd rightfully earned a reputation for allowing her passions to burn for nearly every man she came across, was cursed to love only one.

And no matter how many times Colbert rejected her advances, no matter how many times he cited his status as her former teacher or their age difference of nearly two decades; Kirche's heart never stopped beating furiously for the man who saved her from certain death.

Kirche's heart would wander no more. It belonged now and forever to Professor Colbert.

And they stood together, watching the minions of Romalia bear down on them.

* * *

Beckett and Julio watched as the mercenary army began running toward them like a roiling, heaving sea of death. Beckett looked over to Julio and nodded.

"ARCHERS!" Julio called out.

The entire front two lines of the Commoner's Army knocked their arrows.

"READY!"

The archers drew their arrows and raised their bows.

Julio quickly did the mental calculations to ensure the maximum effectiveness of his archer's attacks.

He watched the enemy's advance carefully, and when they were finally in range…..

"LOOSE!"

At Julio's command, two thousand arrows rose in a graceful arc.

As the cloud of arrows descended, the mercenary soldiers raised their shields.

_Plunk! Plunk! Plunk! Plunk!_

One by one the arrows hit the shields of the enemy. Several struck targets. Those fell.

The Romalian army continued.

"PIKEMEN!"

Advancing in front of the archers, the pikemen carried long wooden spears and used them to create a spiked wall for the soldiers to advance into.

The pikemen lowered their spears and awaited the enemy.

* * *

"Miss Zerbst!" Professor Colbert called.

Kirche let her gaze drift to the Professor and away from the army.

"Take Mr. Gramont and Miss Montmorency and run. "I'll hold them off for as long as I can."

"No." Kirche said. "I am not leaving you to die here. You're either coming with us or we're not going."

"Miss Zerbst!" Colbert thundered. "You are my students, and I cannot allow any harm to come to you! Now please—"

"We graduated from the Academy over a year ago!" Kirche yelled. We are not students for you order around!"

Kirche stood next to the professor and pulled out her wand while facing the advancing enemy.

"I am not going anywhere."

Professor Colbert sighed and shook his head.

_Stubborn, silly girl._

"Very well then, listen to me carefully Miss Zerbst. Do as I say and we may yet live through this."

* * *

"Don't worry Montmorency." Guiche preened. "I will uphold the Gramont family's proud military tradition by protecting you."

Gucihe, who said this while placing his arms around Montmorency, had a shocked look on his face when she pushed him away.

"Can you stop trying to look cool for five minutes? This is a really serious situation."

Montmorency looked at Guiche earnestly.

"I don't know how you have truly felt about me. Sometimes, I know that you love me, but then you go and chase some other girl around, and then I'm not sure what I am to you. And yet, I'm stupid, because I get angry at you, and then I end up feeling bad about it and I always come back."

A single tear began to roll down Montmorency's cheek.

"And yet, every time I swear to myself that is the last time I will allow you to hurt me, I end up feeling like I've lost a part of myself. Almost like a small piece of my soul has left, and the only way to get it back is to see you again."

She buried her face in Guiche's chest and looked up at him with watery eyes.

"So please, don't die today! Because if you do I'll lose that part of myself and never get it back."

They embraced and separated.

Guiche stroked Montmorency's cheek.

He opened his mouth to speak.

_Slam!_

From what seemed like nowhere a huge troll stomped his foot next to the couple. The beast snatched Montmorency and roared at Guiche.

Guiche raised his wand.

Valkyries go!

One by one Guiche's human sized valkyrie statues appeared next to the troll and advanced on it.

The beast quickly swatted them down and turned to run back to the enemy forces.

"MONTMORENCY!"

But she gave no reply. The girl had fainted over the beasts shoulder.

Guiche let out a primal scream.

YYYYYYEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Suddenly the ground beneath his feet opened up.

Guiche felt himself being forcefully lifted off the ground. He shot several dozen mails into the air.

He could not believe his eyes when they told him what he was standing on.

* * *

Alright Miss Zerbst I am going to place a point of light in front of you, I want you to focus on that point.

Jean Colbert waived his wand and a small, bright point of light appeared about fifty mails in front of Kirche.

"Now I want you to focus and put as much magic as you can into that tiny space over there, and I will do the same."

Kirche nodded. She looked at the point of light in front of her and closed her eyes. In her mind she could see the fixed point in the distance.

As if that point was a receptacle, she started to pour her willpower into it.

As she poured, she became aware of Jean Colbert's presence next to her. He was concentrating on the light as well, and emptying his willpower into the magic receptacle.

But, as they poured, Mr. Colbert's presence became more prominent. In a short time, it began to overwhelm everything else to the point that the Professor's presence was all that she could perceive.

Suddenly she saw a scene unfold in her mind. She was walking down a path at night, the twin moons shining high in the starry sky. A village was just ahead. Suddenly, Kirche turned and faced a cadre of mage knights that were following her.

In a voice not her own she began to address them.

"Burn everything! Every structure, every animal, and every person within this village is to be reduced to ash, as commanded by the Founder!"

Kirche was shocked.

_That was Jean's voice!_

She realized that she was reliving the Professor's memories, somehow while concentrating, their minds had become linked.

The scene shifted, this time she was slowly trudging out of the burning village carrying a child on her back. As she walked, Kirche realized that she had been duped by the church and felt shame for what she had done.

That night she raised her fist up at the twin moons, and swore that she would never use the power of fire to destroy again. Kriche felt an unwavering conviction as she made this oath. She was determined to use her gifts for the betterment of Halkeginian society from that moment on.

She was walking down the corridors of the Magic Academy, she felt incredibly nervous. Well, it was her first day of work after all. However, she also felt happy and excited at the same time. She knocked on an office door, and a familiar voice told her to come in. Kirche recognized Principal Osman as he got up from behind his desk and shook her hand.

"Welcome to the Tristain Magic Academy Professor Colbert." He said cordially, if there is anything I can do to make your transition here easier for you, please ask."

Many scenes flashed through Kirche's mind. She was researching in her lab, conducting lectures, and tutoring students. She felt happy, very happy. In fact she was happier than she had ever felt before in her life. She had finally found her true calling. And as the years passed, she felt herself get further and further away from that burning village, and yet she somehow knew that she would never outrun it completely. She would carry that night with her for the rest of her days.

The scene shifted again. She was in the school's cafeteria staring down a fire mage, who had taken several students hostage. Kirche recognized this man. He was with her the night she burned that village and all of its inhabitants. She felt a terrible fear envelope her as she realized that the events of that night many years ago had finally caught up to her. She saw him threaten one of her students. A young woman with fiery red hair sat helplessly as the fire mage began to cast a spell that would burn her alive.

Kirche made a decision. It had been two decades since she swore to never use fire to harm another person, but when given the choice of breaking that oath, or letting one of her students die, the choice was easy. All her fears were swept aside, replaced by cold fury and determination. She conjured a flaming serpent from her wand and looked at her foe with intense vehemence.

"Get away from my student." She said.

Kirche did not fear death. If she was to die this night, then that was simply her reward for the sins that she committed all those years ago. But she would not allow those sins to be visited upon her students. She would defend this innocent child with everything she had.

Another scene shift, this time Kirche was wounded. The battle against Menvil had likely cost her life. And if her wounds didn't kill her, the blonde Musketeer commander, Agnes, would. She stood over KIrche, threatening her with her sword. It turns out that this woman was the child that Kirche had saved from the burning village that night.

Suddenly, the red haired student that she had just rescued jumped in front of her. The young woman was trying to shield Kirche from Agnes. Agnes screamed at the girl to get out of her way. She refused.

The scene changed once more. Now Kirche was in a castle in Germainia. She was working on a new flying machine that she had designed using drawings that she had done of another one from Tristain called the "Dragon's Raiment." She was just finishing another set of calculations when that red haired girl she had once saved came into the room.

She slowly advanced on Kirche, her hips swaying back and forth seductively. Kirche was well aware of this particular young lady's reputation and quickly dismissed her. However, she had been persistent. Now she clung to Kirche's arm and declared her love for her. She slowly brought her lips to Kirche's and pressed them in. Kirche turned her face at the last second; making those lips connect with her cheek instead.

Kirche was very uncomfortable, this girl was one of her students and she had a reputation around campus for being extremely loose with the other young men. Not that she wasn't tempted; in truth Kirche was very tempted, more tempted than she would ever admit to anyone. But honestly, she was much too old for this girl, but beyond that….

Kirche did not believe that this child knew just what she was doing. She had her whole life in front of her, and she wanted to spend it with her? No, she was too young and naïve to make such a decision, and besides, given her reputation, it was likely this girl would move on and find another interest soon.

Kirche sighed. Well, the sooner the better. There is no reason for a lady so young and vibrant to waster her gifts on someone like her…..

* * *

"MISS ZERBST!"

Kirche's eyes snapped open. She was back on the wreck of the _Ostland_. The enemy was right on top of them. Professor Colbert was desperately trying to get her attention.

"Now Miss Zerbst, you've got to let go now!"

Kirche pulled her eyes from the Professor and looked to her front. The point of light that had served as a receptacle for Kirche's fire magic had grown to an enormous size. It was now a huge sphere with a deep orange glow. It roiled and seethed with energy.

Kirche pulled her wand away and disengaged. Professor Colbert quickly put a barrier up between them and the half of the sphere facing them so that they would not get caught in the blast.

In the next instant…..

_BOOM!_

The blast radiated outward toward the enemy. The screams of burning mercenaries were drowned out by the thunderous boom of the explosion.

The ground beneath Kirche and Colbert's feet shook violently. So much that they were unable to maintain their footing and fell to the ground. They screamed as the intense heat from the back blast washed over them, the barrier put up by Colbert just barely protecting them.

When the shaking stopped, the pair sat up.

Kirche's hair was a complete mess, and both looked completely dazed. Their jaws dropped when they surveyed the scene before them.

The field in front of them had been wiped clean by the blast. Further down the line, other forces were still engaged with the Commoner's Army and Guiche and Montmorency were there as well, but here, there nothing but scorched earth and a whistling wind.

Still seated on the deck of the _Ostland _Kirche turned to face the Professor.

Remembering what she had witnessed in his mind, Kirche spoke.

"Don't you ever, ever, assume that I can't make choices when it comes to those I love! Who I decide to give my heart to is my choice! And it is nobody's business but my own!"

Kirche spoke forcefully to Colbert; she waved her wand in his face with each word.

Suddenly, she grabbed the Professor by his robe and pressed her lips against his.

"And I choose to give my heart to you." she said after releasing him.

"Whether you like it or not."

* * *

_It's fast._

Tabitha thought this while trying to coax even more speed out Sylpheed, but that flying golem was still outrunning them.

Though not nearly as fast or maneuverable as the original _Steel Dragon, _it was still able to give Sylpheed and Karin's manticore a run for their money.

Sylpheed was already flying at max speed, and she would not be able to keep this pace up for very long.

But, if what Henrietta had said was true, then that golem must not be allowed to escape.

If it does, three hundred thousand people will die.

"Queen Charlotte!"

Queen Henrietta tapped Tabitha on her shoulder.

"The Pope said his familiar gave the golem instructions to go to Tristania and destroy it. Is there any way we can convince it to just turn back?"

Tabitha shook her head.

She looked over at the manticore, Saito, Louise and Tiffania were riding it alongside Sylpheed.

Tabitha's eyes narrowed as she glanced at Tiffa.

Tiffa, the Void Mage of Albion

Suddenly she had an idea.

Tabitha brought Sylpheed in close to the manitcore.

She pointed at Tiffania, and then to the flying golem.

Tiffa shook her head in confusion.

Tabitha pointed again, first at Tiffania, and then to the golem.

Louise understood.

"She wants you to use your _Forget_ spell on the golem!" Louise shouted over the rushing wind.

Tiffania nodded and pointed her wand at the flying bomb.

"_Nau cid yisa waysare"_

The golem was pulling away. Tabitha wondered if the spell would still be effective at this range.

"_Hagaraz yul beog"_

Louise kicked harder, working to squeeze every last drop of speed she could out of the manticore.

"_Need is algees"_

The golem pulled ahead even more. Soon it would be out of sight completely.

Tiffa shouted the last part of her incantation.

"_Bel kana man lagoo!"_

For a few terrifying moments, nothing happened. Then the golem, by now only slightly more than a dot on the horizon, began to glow brightly.

Suddenly, the golem craft veered to the left and turned completely around.

Tabitha pulled Sylpheed hard, and only managed to dodge the missile by inches.

"You said the elf only gave that golem enough intelligence to carry out its mission right?" asked Robert.

"Yes", replied Henrietta. "The Pope said that it could fly to Tristania without any further commands."

'Well," Robert continued, "you may have made it forget where it's going, but you can't erase instinct. It still knows that it needs to destroy _something,_ now it just doesn't know what."

The golem turned around again. It sped up and went for Sylpheed a second time. Once again Tabitha dodged it.

"I think it just found a new target." Robert said.

"What? You can't be serious." Henrietta shouted back.

Robert slowly nodded his head, "Yeah, us!"

The golem buzzed Sylpheed again. Henrietta shrieked and held onto Robert.

Tabitha put Sypheed into a steep dive in order to pick up speed.

The golem was right behind them.

* * *

Montmorency woke to sensation of being dragged across the ground. The soundtrack of battle played all around her. Swords were clashing, metal armor crashing against metal armor, and the cries of the wounded. She looked feverishly for the reason for her being dragged, and she soon found it. A monstrous troll had her by the ankles.

Of course Montmorency screamed when she realized what was happening.

Suddenly she was tossed high into the air, and caught by the troll. She caught a glimpse of the ugly brute's face, huge red eyes, grey skin and yellow fanged teeth. In his other hand he carried a spiked club.

Two other trolls approached the one that carried Montmorency. She began to panic, taking rapid, shallow breaths.

The trolls grunted and growled at each other, apparently the other trolls were interested in Montmorency, but her initial captor wasn't about to share.

First came some gentle pushing and shoving, then harder pushing and shoving. Montmorency's troll dropped her to the ground. Now she found herself in the middle of three feuding trolls.

Shortly, the trio graduated to swinging their clubs.

One troll hit another in the head; he spun and fell to the ground, while Montmorency frantically ran out the way before being crushed. She tried to make her escape while the other two troll weren't paying attention to her, but suddenly she found herself being scooped up by a fourth troll.

He examined her closely, rubbing her hair with his finger and sniffing her.

Then the troll brought his tongue against her, licking the entire length of her body.

Montmorency screamed again as she was covered in slimy, sticky troll saliva.

This troll seemed to take a particularly strong liking to the blonde haired mage, but the other trolls would not have it.

One of them tried to pry Montmorency out of the troll's hands, neither one of them seemed willing to give up the prize. Trolls of course being creatures of brute strength did what any creature of like minded mentality would do in this situation.

They pulled harder.

Poor Montmorency was being pulled apart.

She closed her eyes and screamed.

Then she heard the sound of a massive impact, followed by shockwaves.

She heard the sound again, and again, and again.

The trolls were caught off guard by the pummeling and released the girl.

Montmorency hit the ground and looked up to see what had made the trolls let her go.

Then she saw it. She couldn't believe it, but she saw it.

A huge stone construct, several stories tall, was relentlessly pounding the trolls with its fists.

And riding on its shoulder was none other than Guiche Gramont.

"Guiche" Montmorency called out. "That's a golem!"

Upon seeing his beloved Montmorency in such peril, Guiche Gramont had finally summoned his first multistory golem. True, his valkyries were golems in the purest sense, but they were human sized. This earthen construct was at least four or five stories tall, and the son of General Gramont had never summoned anything like this before.

Montmorency was awestruck by the sight. She watched as Guiche threw punch after punch from the shoulder of his creation, and like a great shadow boxer, his golem followed his moves precisely.

Guiche berated the trolls, punctuating each word with a punch from the golem.

"_Get! Away! From! My! Fiancé!"_

Guiche brought down three of the demi-human beasts.

The fourth was still sparing for a fight.

The troll threw a haymaker at Guiche's golem, nearly knocking the earth mage off in the process.

Guiche, still clutching his rose wand brought his golem up and commanded it to jump.

While still in mid-air, Guiche drew his fist back and punched the air.

The golem did the same, only it hit the troll squarely in the jaw. Teeth went flying out of its mouth as the giant creature fell straight back and landed with a loud thud.

Guiche then brought the golem's flat palm to rest in front of Montmorency.

She obediently climbed on, and Guiche carefully deposited his beloved right next to him on the golem's shoulder.

She wrapped Guiche in a tight embrace.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She said while covering Guiche's face in kisses.

"You came for me! I mean you actually came for me, and this!" she said while gesturing to the large stone golem they stood on.

"H-how did you make this! I never thought you would ever- I mean-."

She stopped suddenly, giving Guiche a deadpan look.

"Wait a minute; did you just say that I was your fiancé?"

Guiche looked somewhat embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Ahh heh heh. Well you see Montmorency, I've thinking about this for a while now and…"

He reached into his pocket.

"I just haven't gotten the courage to ask you."

The actual truth was that he hadn't decided if he even _wanted_ to ask Montmorency to marry him, but after watching her almost die, and being forced to consider the possibility of a life without her, Guiche had made up his mind.

Even if he could have every woman in Halkeginia, he'd still be miserable without Montmorency.

He held up the ring for Montmorency.

"Montmorency Margarita la Fère de Montmorency" Guiche began. "Will you be my wife?

Montmorency's breath caught in her throat. She stared at the gleaming diamond ring with wide eyes.

"Guiche", she began. "

She reached out and plucked the ring from Guiche's hand. Montmorency was awestruck that Guiche had finally asked her to marry him, she'd dreamed about this moment, fantasized about it for so long.

And yet…..

Montmorency carefully placed the ring back in Guiche's palm, and closed his fingers around it.

"M-M-Montmorency?" Guiche stammered.

"I'm sorry Guiche", she said sadly. "I do love you, I really do, but I…."

Montmorency stared downward. She was afraid that if she looked at Guiche's face while she said this, her resolve would fail her.

And she needed to say this.

"I can't marry you."

"I can't marry you because I am not sure that you really love me."

"Montmorency, Of course I love you", he said in the most reassuring tone he could muster while placing his hand on her shoulder.

Montmorency looked up.

"Do you?"

Guiche withdrew his hand and looked at her with a fearful expression.

"Montmorency I-"

She held her hand up to stop him.

"Guiche, I am certain that in your heart, you really believe that you love me, but what about the next time that war or circumstances take you far from home? What happens when you meet some pretty face in some far off land while I am at home raising our children? Will you honor the vows that you claim to want to say with me? Or will you give into that part of yourself that I know is still in you, and cheat on me?"

Guiche simply stared back with is mouth hanging open.

"Therefore, if you really do love me, you'll prove it and wait for me. You'll wait as long as it takes."

She took Guiche's hands into her own.

Guiche was stunned. He'd planned this moment out and replayed the expected result over and over. So certain he was that he would succeed that never even allowed for the possibility that she might say no.

And yet that was the reality he now faced.

Guiche Gramont had been rejected by the love of his life.

And yet when he considered the possibility of a life without her, his heart threatened to crumble in his chest.

He pulled Montmorency close.

"I'll wait for you. I'll wait for the rest of my life if that's what you want. I just don't want to spend my life without you."

And that, in the end was what Montmorency wanted, to force Guiche to accept the fact that if he insisted on clinging to his skirt chasing ways, then he would have to pay a cost, and that cost would be her.

Montmorency smiled at Guiche and hugged him.

Perched on the shoulder of a giant, they held one another as the battle raged around them.

* * *

Pope Artimus 19th stood on the deck of the _Knight Hammer_ examining the destruction left in the wake of Robert de Sable and his daring rescue of Queen Henrietta.

The strange explosive that was set off by Robert and the Queen had not only killed an entire company of mage knights stationed on the ship, but it had also damaged one of the ship's masts.

Captain Rookwood was hurriedly issuing orders to brace the mast.

As the damage control teams went to work, the Pope pulled the Captain aside.

"How soon can we be underway Captain?"

The Pope's question was an imperative one. No one on the ship failed to notice the gargantuan tornado that had broken out of the city and was now steadily heading in their direction.

"If the teams are able to quickly brace the mast, I'd say no more than five or ten minutes."

"Excellent Captian, as soon as we are able to make way, bring the fleet close to the army, use the guns and any remaining dragons to-"

_Crrrrraaaaaaaack!_

"Look out!"

The damaged mast gave way and fell to the deck with a loud groan. Unfortunately, when it crashed down it took the ship's wheelhouse with it.

The Pope and Captain Rookwood gawked at the damage.

"I'm sorry Your Holiness, but this cannot be repaired underway, and it will take at least two hours for another ship to attach to us for tow."

The Pope slowly walked to the ship's railing and faced the approaching tornado.

"We don't have two hours."

* * *

_Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!_

Whirling her wand cane, Karin deflected one piece of debris after another.

Despite the home field advantage afforded from being inside a raging tornado, she was making little headway in her battle against the elf.

Her problem wasn't the battle's location; it was the junk that came with it.

A great deal of stone debris had been swept up by the funnel and was now swirling around the combatants.

The stone debris contained nature spirits, and those spirits were the elf's to command.

He sent wave after wave of stone debris spinning in the Duchess' direction.

While Karin was able to deflect the debris and defend herself, she was unable to go on the offensive.

And her willpower was beginning to run dry.

* * *

Guided by Tabitha, Sylpheed pulled out of the nosedive and began skimming along the ground. Even at full speed she was having trouble staying ahead of the flying golem that was now intent on destroying them.

Tabitha shook her head. Trying to simply outrun the golem was futile, she needed to outsmart it.

Flying on just its instinct to destroy something, the golem was basically a dumb, but dangerous missile. It may be faster than Sylpheed, but it was not nearly so maneuverable.

Tabitha had Sylpheed slow down.

She let the golem get closer, and closer.

At the last second, Tabitha brought Sylpheed up and over the golem. It streaked beneath them and brought itself around to come after Tabitha once more.

Tabitha ordered her familiar to fly at full speed.

"What are you doing?" screamed Henrietta. They were flying straight at the golem on a head to head course, and very low to the ground.

Tabitha narrowed her eyes in concentration.

Just moments before impact, Sylpheed dipped her right wing as if to skim even lower to the ground. The golem, matching Sylpheed move for move, followed suit.

Suddenly Sylpheed rolled to the left, pulling her right wing back up and the golem again shot past.

The golem skimmed right against the dirt, but did not crash. It pulled up and regained altitude.

Henrietta was fuming.

"That golem has five fire jewels inside of it! If you crash it, it'll explode and kill all of us! We have to find another way."

Again Tabitha shook her head.

"There is no other way."

Robert pointed his finger.

"There!"

Tabitha and Henrietta followed Robert's finger and saw exactly what he was pointing at.

It was the tornado where Karin the Heavy Wind and Lolindir Nenharma were locked in mortal combat.

"If we can lure that thing close enough, it'll get sucked in and do our job for us!" Robert shouted.

Tabitha nodded.

Sylpheed shot towards the raging funnel cloud.

Tabitha leaned forward and whispered in Sypheed's ear.

Again the rhyme dragon dodged the golem and slowed down just enough to turn sideways and shake Robert and Henrietta off of her back.

Robert and the Queen rolled and bounced to a stop in the dirt.

"What is she thinking?" Henrietta asked.

"She is going to sacrifice herself to destroy that thing." Robert said ruefully.

Both looked up and watched as Sylpheed streaked toward the whirling funnel.

The golem was right behind her.

* * *

From the shattered deck of the _Knight Hammer_ Pope Artimus 19th watched as a blue dragon approached the base of the tornado, followed closely by his _Steel Dragon_ golem.

He immediately recognized Queen Charlotte and her rhyme dragon familiar.

Charlotte and her familiar rounded the base of the funnel at high speed and just as the golem attempted to follow, it was suddenly pulled back by the raging winds and plunged nose first into the massive whirlwind.

The Pope could only watch as his dream of a new Halkeginia was torn to pieces in the whirling clouds.

Suddenly, pieces of wood and debris began to be sucked into the vortex. Captain Rookwood and his men began to panic.

Cannonballs, chains, and even the broken mast began to move in the direction of the swirling storm.

Calmly, the Pope turned to face the cowering, panicking sailors behind him.

As they shouted and screamed over one another, the Pope smiled serenely, and whispered quietly.

"It's simply God's will."

Artimus closed his eyes.

With a loud crack, the _Knight Hammer _was folded in two and sucked into the storm.

* * *

Louise landed her mother's manticore after spotting Henrietta and Robert on the ground below.

"Where's Tabitha?"

Both pointed to the tornado that was at that moment, in the process of gobbling up the massive Romalian flagship where they had rescued Henrietta minutes earlier.

* * *

Sylpheed was pulling and flapping with all her might, and even though she was exerting the force equivalent to her max speed, she could not pull away from the whirling winds.

She too was being sucked in.

Tabitha leaned forward and spoke to Sylpheed.

"Change!"

"What?" the dragon shouted back incredulously. "Sis, are you mad?"

"Do it!"

With great reluctance, Sypheed began to glow a bright white and morphed into her human form.

She screamed as her and her master was immediately pulled into the tornado.

Tabitha wrapped herself around her familiar. She thought of her friends, of those that she had been so willing to sacrifice herself for.

_Choom!_

* * *

_Choom!_

Tabitha and Irukkuku unfurled right next to Louise, Tiffania , Henrietta, Robert, and Saito.

Henrietta and Louise wrapped them up in an embrace.

* * *

Having sucked up the ship and its large compliment of windstones, the tornado increased in sized dramatically. Now, its base was the size of a small city, and showed no signs of stopping.

As the flying golem was ripped apart by the raging winds, its belly was torn open and the fire jewels that it was carrying spilled out into the winds. One by one the jewels flew up into the vortex.

In the center of the raging tornado, Karin and the elf continued their duel. Karin had nearly exhausted her massive stores of willpower and her wind_ barrier_ spell was beginning to weaken.

When the _barrier _failed completely, Karin would be torn apart by her own tornado.

A tornado, which was no longer being fed by Karin's magic. Now the storm was sustaining itself off of the _Knight Hammer's _windstones.

Karin looked at her opponent, the elf had hardley broken a sweat.

The Duchess had already resigned herself to death this day, but she swore to both herself and the Founder, that one way or another she was taking this bastard with her.

The two enemies glared at one another, each sizing up the others current condition.

The elf smiled, his expression left no doubt he knew he was winning.

Abruptly, several shining red orbs flew up in between them. Karin looked at them with puzzled eyes. She'd never seen anything like them.

The elf, however, recognized them. His smile became wider.

"You see Duchess", the elf said smugly as he plucked one of the fire jewels out of the winds. "The reason you mages will never defeat our kind, is that while you are bound to serve the four elements, the elements are bound to serve us."

The elf showed Karin the fire jewel in the palm of hand, and suddenly the jewel disappeared into his palm. His hand caught fire, and in the next instant that fire had spread to cover every bit of the elf's body.

The flaming elf spread his hands and Karin watched in horror as the tornado's spinning winds were replaced by spinning flames.

Lolinidir laughed maniacally.

"Now Duchess", the elf shouted over the roaring firestorm.

"BURN WITH ME!"

* * *

Saito, Louise, and the others watched in awe as the swirling tornado caught fire. From its base to its top, the vortex had become a mass of whirling fire.

An unimaginably huge fire devil.

Louise whispered softly, "Mother."

Tiffania felt an unexpected tugging in her hand. Some unseen force was trying to wrench the elven spirit stone from her grip.

As she held the stone up to her face she realized that it was the stone itself that was struggling to escape her grasp.

Tiffa looked at the whirling spirits inside the stone, and nodded her understanding.

She released her grip and the stone shot toward the towering inferno.

* * *

Once inside the storm, the spirit stone shot up to the center of the storm. It passed right in between the two warriors fighting to the death.

Lolindir was just about to burn through what little remained of Karin's wind _barrier_ when the stone stopped and hovered directly in front of the elven assassin.

It paused to consider the flaming elf.

As if to say, _"I remember you."_

The stoned flew toward the elf and buried itself on his forehead.

He screamed and flailed his arms as the stone bored it way into his flesh.

After the stone disappeared completely, the flames surrounding the elf's body were suddenly extinguished.

Lolindir Nenharma held his hands in front of him and examined himself with wide, shocked eyes.

He stretched out his hand and tried calling the other fire jewels to him.

Nothing happened.

Karin the Heavy Wind smiled malevolently.

"Your spirits have abandoned you elf!"

Karin reached out, and used what little willpower she had left to use the winds to push one the remaining fire jewels to her hand.

She began to attack the elf with a flurry of kicks and punches.

She shouted at the elf with each blow she landed.

"This is for my daughter!"

"This is for my son!"

She held the fire jewel up close to the elf's now bloody face and smiled again.

"And this is for me."

With that, she forcefully crammed the fire jewel into the elf's mouth.

Karin pulled him close and spoke ominously.

"You will never come near my family again."

With a cry, Karin reached back and drove the heel of her palm into the bottom of the elf's jaw.

The fire jewel shattered with a _Chink!_

* * *

Louise and her friends watched as the churning fire devil was torn apart by a spectacular explosion.

The initial blast was followed by three more as the other fire jewels were caught in the blast and detonated as well.

"MOTHER!" Louise screamed as she ran toward the now rising mushroom cloud.

"No! Louise you can't!" Saito yelled as he and the others desperately fought to hold her back.

Suddenly, Karin's manticore familiar reared back, and roared. Everyone could see as the beast's familiar's runes shined brightly and vanished.

The manticore roared again and leapt into the sky.

Faced with this irrefutable proof that her mother was indeed gone, Louise fell to her knees, and screamed. Her anguished cries echoed far and wide across the Romalian sky.

Saito reached out to comfort his wife as best he could, but he drew back when he noticed that Louise was glowing.

The void mage stood. Saito had seen this only once before; when Tabitha had kissed Saito in order to recharge Louise's willpower, so that they could defeat King Joseph.

The glow surrounding Louise intensified, soon Saito, and the others had to look away from the intense blinding light radiating off of her.

Willpower is the source of a mage's strength. Casting spells consumes willpower, and when a mage's will power is depleted, they can no longer use magic and usually pass out.

It is well known that sleeping restores willpower.

What is not nearly so well known is that strong emotions can restore willpower as well.

In fact, emotions can restore willpower even faster, and with much greater intensity, than rest alone.

Now, burning with intense grief, Louise's willpower was recharged to the point that it threatened to consume her tiny body entirely.

Only two events could possibly stir such intense grief and rage within Louise.

One of course would be the death of Saito, and the other, the death of her mother.

Louise's body shone with blinding intensity.

She was like an angel, blazing with the light of God.

She turned to face the city, and the two armies still battling out on the plains outside the city walls.

She pointed her wand, and the light flowed up from her toes, to her knees, her chest and arms, and finally out through her wand.

The beam traveled over to the enemy mercenaries engaged with the remnants of Tristain's forces and burst into a powerful dome of pure light.

The dome expanded over the battlefield, tendrils of energy sparked out from the dome's edges as it grew ever larger.

The enemy mercenaries dissolved away one by one as the dome reached them.

The Halkeginian language had no words to describe what was happening to them accurately.

One must travel to another world in order to acquire that vocabulary.

_Total Vaporization._

Though the dome passed over a battlefield occupied by both friends and foes, only the Romalians and their hired muscle were obliterated by the vaporizing light.

The Tristainian forces were left untouched.

After consuming the entirety of the enemy force, the dome of light vanished.

Louise, drained of all willpower, collapsed to ground, limp and unmoving.


	19. 16 Halkeginia's Human Legacy

Author's Notes: Well, this is it, the penultimate chapter of The Familiar of Zero Unlimited Realities Book One. In this chapter I hold nothing back. This is where I lay all my cards on the table. I looked forward to writing this chapter ever since I first conceived of this story. I can finally share with you, an idea of just how big an epic I have planned here. Saito and his friends are in for the ride of their lives.

Much of what I reveal here I had always planned to reveal at this point, but some of it I didn't plan on revealing until about half way through Book Two. But as I was mapping out the plot for the second book I realized that a lot of the events I've laid out for the next arc will be hard for the readers to understand because they lack proper context. Everything would have made sense eventually, but only after I had confused the hell out of many of you. So in the interest of making this story more reader friendly, I'm letting you in on these secrets now.

So without any further interference from yours truly, I present to you the final chapter of The Fires of Revolution.

_Halkeginia's Human Legacy._

* * *

The Romalians were a conquered people. Well, not in the strictest sense. The Tristainian forces did not come to Romalia looking for territory or conquest, they came to save Henrietta and stop the Pope from further terrorizing the commoners of Halkeginia.

And in those respects they were ultimately successful.

But a consequence of that success was that the Romalian government was now decapitated, and the Romalian people were left rudderless.

What with the death of Pope Artimus the 19th and the complete destruction of their navy and armed forces.

As a result, what little remained of the Tristainian military now had the unenviable task of being an occupying force.

And the first order of business for any occupying army is to establish security.

All Romalian citizens were placed under a sunrise to sunset curfew that was enforced by the Tristainians. Anyone caught out of their homes after dusk were subject to immediate search, interrogation, and possible detention.

King Saito however had instructed his troops that detention was only to be used as last resort. Any Romalian citizens that were found to be breaking curfew were to be escorted back to their homes unless they were found to be a genuine threat.

For one person, however, detention was not merely a last option.

It was his only option.

* * *

Deep beneath the Cathedral of Romalia, ironically not far from the cache of weapons that enabled him to rescue Henrietta, Robert de Sable whiled away his time in the dungeon.

During the three days he'd spent as a guest of the Tristainian occupying forces, Robert had plenty of time to reflect on the events that had led him to this point.

Lying flat on his back on a pile of straw with his hands laced behind his head, Robert looked around his cell and smiled.

_You know, for a medieval jail, this isn't half bad._

The straw was soft, the floor was dry, no rats to speak of, and the meals were delivered by the guards three times a day like clockwork.

_I guess Saito still hasn't figured out what to do with me yet._

Robert's smile grew even wider. It wasn't like that the last time he was in jail. Oh no, the last time he was a guest of the penal system, his fate was decided swiftly.

* * *

_Buzzzzz…_

Robert looked up from his bunk as his cell door slid open.

The rather large fierce looking deputy stepped in the cell's entrance and pointed at Robert.

"Let's go boy! Your old man's here to get you."

Robert sat up and glumly shuffled out of the cell.

The deputy gave him a shove to the back.

"Move it son! We ain't got all day here."

Robert walked out into the jail lobby. He winced as he saw his father finish signing him out.

"Take care Mr. Mason", the clerk said to his dad as he handed over the clipboard.

Robert's father turned and gave his son a stern look.

"Well come on!"

After they got in the car, Mr. Mason punched the ignition and Robert heard a whine as the fusion turbines kicked in.

Mr. Mason shook his head as they drove down the road.

"Robert James Mason." Mr. Mason said with a heavy sigh. "Mind telling me what the hell you were thinking?"

Robert sat silently in the passenger seat and stared out the window; the sun was beginning to set behind the horizon and provided a colorful backdrop to the towering spires of glass and steel that made up the skyline of New Tristania.

He picked out an airspeeder that rounded tallest skyscraper and landed gently at the top.

"Why can't we get a speeder?" Robert asked. "Why do we have to roll around in this old thing?"

"Got a problem with four wheels?" Mr. Mason asked sarcastically. "Because you didn't seem to have a problem with it when they stopped you while driving that car you boosted."

More silence from Robert as his father made the turn into their subdivision.

"You know Robert I just don't understand you. First you steal money from your mother and me. Then you get caught shoplifting, and now you're stealing cars!"

Robert kept staring out the window.

"Hey! Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Robert turned to face his dad as they pulled into the driveway.

"Robert" His dad began, "You mother and I made a decision this morning. We spoke to your grandfather, and he's agreed to take you in."

"We're shipping you off to Earth."

"What! I don't want to go to Earth it's boring there. Who am I going to hang out with, grandpa and his butler?"

"Hey, be grateful you little shit! I wanted him to ship you off to military school, but he thinks you just need some fresh air and a break."

"If you think it's so great on Earth why don't you live there?"

"Robert, you're sixteen years old, stop being a little baby."

Mr. Mason handed his son an envelope.

"Your grandfather already bought your ticket, you leave tomorrow. Now get upstairs and start packing."

* * *

The sound of creaking metal got Robert's attention as the heavy door that lead to the dungeon opened and closed.

_It's not feeding time,_ Robert mused, _someone must be coming to collect me._

_Or just my head._

He sat up on his straw pile as his visitor came into view.

"Ahhhhhhh Your Majesty, have you come to rescue me this time?"

"You shouldn't call me that. Saito and Louise are still King and Queen. I have not yet taken back the throne of Tristain."

Robert gave a somewhat quizzical expression.

"Alright then, Henrietta, what brings you down to see me today?"

"Why haven't you told them anything?"

"You mean about the future and all that?"

"Yes."

"Saito will come to see me when he's ready. I don't know if you realize, but his wife is grieving the loss of her mother. I highly doubt that I am real high on Saito's list of priorities at the moment."

Robert leaned back on his straw and laced his hands behind his head again.

"In the meantime, I'll continue enjoying the hospitality of the Romalian dungeons, three meals a day and a pile of comfy straw."

Henrietta looked down somewhat sadly.

"I-I asked Saito not to execute you."

"Oh I don't think you need to worry about that Your Highness, executing people is really not his style."

"Yes, again I have to ask you, how do you know so much about Louise and Saito?"

"No more questions until I speak to them."

"OOOOOOOFFF!" Henrietta shook in her frustration.

"Louise is still sleeping Robert. She has been for the last three days."

"Well then let Saito know that I will only speak to both of them together when she wakes up."

With that, Robert took his book out of the straw, placed it in his lap and began to read it.

Henrietta scoffed, turned around, and walked out of the dungeon.

* * *

While deciding Robert's fate may not have been Saito's first priority at that moment, deciding what to do with someone else was.

Surrounded by guards, and shackled by both his hands and feet, Lord Alastair Teague stood in the main receiving hall of the Cathedral of Brimir and faced justice.

Saito stood at the front of the hall, where the Pope would traditionally receive guests during official functions. And standing next to Saito was Lord Bidashal of the elves. The elven fleet arrived shortly after the Battle of Romalia's conclusion and was now helping with the occupation of the city.

Saito was actually more than a little miffed about the elves tardiness. If they had arrived an hour earlier, maybe Duchess Karin Valliere would still be alive.

But Saito, and not to mention Tristain as a whole, were hardly in a position to alienate any allies at the moment.

Besides, one could make the argument that it was actually Saito's fault for not consulting with the elven government before the invasion began. Also, it's not as though they were expecting fire jewels and a Romalian super weapon.

But what was done was done, and hindsight is, as they say, 20/20.

It was time to focus on the here and now, and now Saito had to decide what to do with the person who conspired to not only kill him, but also his wife Louise.

Saito carefully eyed the shackled noble in front of him. Teague still gave off an aura of defiance and smug superiority, and oh how Saito was tempted to punch that look right off of his face.

But after consulting with Alexander and Cardinal Mazarin, Saito decided that death was, quite simply, too good for this man. He would welcome the chance to be a martyr to his fellow nobles.

Saito had an even better idea.

He would take from this noble the one thing he valued above all else.

"Lord Alastair Teague, step forward", called out Saito.

The defiant noble shuffled forward, his ankle shackles jingling against the stone floor.

"For the crimes of treason against the Crown of Tristain, and attempted regicide, it has been decided that you shall stripped of all nobility titles, your lands will deemed forfeited to the Crown, and you Alastair Teague, will be exiled from Halkeginia forever, never to return on pain of death."

Alastair Teague stiffened, but otherwise showed no emotion as the punishment was delivered.

"You will be remanded to the custody of the elves", Saito continued. "They will escort you to _Rub al Khali_, where you will be free to live the rest of your life in any way you choose."

Saito leaned in close to the disgraced ex-noble.

"So I would suggest that you make it a good one."

Teague remained silent.

Saito, with no small amount of satisfaction said, "Get this commoner out of my sight."

The guards grabbed Teague by the elbows and marched him off to the elves.

"Saito." It was Lord Bidashal.

Saito motioned for Bidashal to follow him as he went to Louise's room to check on her.

"I understand your reluctance to impose the death penalty and to be honest that is one of the traits I admire about you, but…"

Bidashal leaned in close and spoke to Saito in a hushed tone.

"This man tried to _murder _you and your wife. If any crime would arouse passions and hatred within you enough to kill, one would think that would be the one to do it."

They walked slowly down the corridor; Saito had his hands behind his back and looked at his feet as he walked, as if he were deep in thought.

"To be honest Bidashal, I wanted to kill him, I really did."

"Then why, Your Majesty, did you let him live?"

"Because death is what he wanted. It would have made him a martyr to his cause, and besides, he thinks the true value in a man lies in titles and social standing, so if I take away that which he cherishes most, isn't that much worse than death?"

"True."

"Alright then, now he'll have to live the rest of his life as the thing he reviles the most, a commoner."

"What happens to the Brimiric faith now?" asked Bidashal, abruptly changing the subject.

Saito realized what the elf was asking. What with the death of Karin, dealing with Teague and trying to figure out what to do with Robert de Sable, Saito had all but forgotten the most important question of all, the question that must have been on the minds of everyone else but Saito.

Where does Halkeginia go from here?

The commoners have rebelled and managed to win new rights, (thanks in no small part to Saito), and now with the death of the Pope and subsequent occupation of Romalia by Tristain and the elves no less, the Brimic church, the bedrock of Halkeginian culture, had been brought to its knees.

Halkeginian society has, for better or worse, been irrevocably altered.

"The talk is that Cardinal Mazarin is going to be elected Pope." Saito said.

"Really", Lord Bidashal replied. "Our knowledge of him would indicate that he would be more likely to remain in Tristainia."

Saito smiled. Of course the elves would maintain intelligence dossiers on every major government figure in Halkeginia.

He wondered what his file said.

"Henrietta and I are going to try to convince his to take the job this time. He is exactly the type of person the Church needs right now."

Thinking of Henrietta, Saito suddenly became concerned. Henrietta had hardly spoken to Saito at all since their reunion at the end of the battle. One would think that given all that has happened since Robert made off with her and Tabitha, they would have much to discuss, particularly since he and Louise had been running her Kingdom in her absence.

Now that he thought of it, Tabitha had hardly spoken to him either, and when he tried to approach either of them, they always seemed to be urgently needed somewhere else.

It was almost like they were avoiding him.

Saito looked over to Lord Bidashal.

"Whatever happens, the hostilities between the elves and the mages ends now."

With that, Saito held out his hand.

Lord Bidashal just stared back at Saito, unsure of what to do.

Saito smiled.

"It's a custom from my world. When two friends agree to something, they shake hands."

Bidashal slowly put his hand out, mimicking Saito's gesture. Saito grasped the elf's hand and slowly moved it up and down a few times.

Understanding what Saito was getting at now, Bidashal returned the King's smile.

Saito was beaming.

"By the way, I owe you one, that spirit stone you gave me saved my life."

Bidashal gave Saito a puzzled expression.

Saito told him about how the elven spirit stone protected him during the assassination attempt on his life.

Bidashal popeyed, and held up his hand to stop Saito.

"The spirits in the stone…rose up to protect you."

"Yeah that's right."

Bidashal turned around and paced three steps away from Saito before turning around again and coming back to him.

"The spirits actually imprinted with you."

"Uhhh, well, I'm not really sure what that means, but I guess they really liked me. To be honest I just thought they did it because they were in a stone that you gave me."

"Saito, an elven spirit only imprints with other elves. To have this happen to someone who is not an elf has only happened once in recorded history."

Saito stood for a moment thinking when the answer abruptly came to him.

"Brimir."

Bidashal nodded.

"In gratitude for Brimir's promise to help the elves defeat Prince Andvari, the elves created a spirit stone for Brimir. It is said that the stone granted Brimir fortune in battle and protected him."

"Brmir and the elves were allies." Saito mused. Well that would make sense; Brimir did have an elven familiar after all.

"There is no mention of an alliance between Brimir and the elves." Saito said.

"Of course not, if such information became public knowledge, the Church and its dogma of making war against the elves would be undermined."

Bidashal leaned in close to Saito once more.

"But rest assured the Church leadership is aware of the truth."

Saito nodded.

"Well," Bidashal said cheerily, "I'm off to return to the fleet, and I'm sure that you need to check on your wife."

Again Saito nodded.

"If her Majesty does wake up, inform her that the Kingdom of Nephthys mourns with her, our condolences for the Queen's loss."

"Thank you Lord Bidashal, I'll be sure to tell her."

Bidashal bowed and left.

Saito turned and continued toward Louise's room.

* * *

Outside of the Cathedral of Brimir, Alexander Dufresne stood overlooking a massive hole. It was the hole created by the Pope's elven familiar when he launched the dragons carrying the fire jewels at the Tristanian fleet.

He leaned over and peered down into the darkness.

_It was a long way down._

Sensing a presence, he looked around, while he saw a great many people milling about and heading to and fro, none seemed to be taking a particular interest in the android, and yet somehow, he could not shake the feeling that he was being watched.

He turned his gaze upward, and then he saw her.

Queen Charlotte was observing Alexander from a window in the Cathedral.

Alexander felt uncertain. He was forced to share his memories with the Gallian Queen when he needed her to locate the elf and _Teleport_ him there.

He tried to restrict the flow of memories to just those pertinent to the elf, but unfortunately Charlotte had been able to access all of Alexander's memories.

_She knew everything._

And at that very moment, the tiny Queen glared at the android from the window. Her accusing stare bored straight through Alexander, and seemed to pierce his very soul.

Alexander sighed heavily, there was no avoiding it, they were going to have to talk, and he had a feeling that it would come sooner rather than later.

He walked off into the crowd, still feeling the Queen's eyes upon him. He shook his head as he recalled the Charlotte's hurt and surprised reaction to his past.

"_You were supposed to be his friend." _Charlotte had said while giving her scathing indictment.

"_How could you just abandon him?"_

"_Why didn't you save him?"_

Alexander melted with the crowd and sighed heavily again.

To no one in particular, the android whispered.

"_I tried, and believe me…"_

He stopped and looked back up toward the now empty window.

"…_..he was beyond saving."_

* * *

_Knock! Knock!_

Queen Henrietta looked up at the sound of someone knocking on her door. Her train of thought broken, she got up off her bed where she had been seated and went to answer the door.

"Cardinal Mazarin" the Queen greeted. "Please come in."

Mazarin stepped inside and the Queen closed the door.

"What can I do for you?"

Cardinal Mazarin's face bore a serious look.

"The College of Cardinals has concluded the conclave, and they have elected me the new Pope of the Brimic Church."

"Congratulations Cardinal." Henrietta said.

"I have yet to accept the honor, Your Majesty." The Cardinal said simply. "I am still reluctant to leave Tristain when so much remains to be done."

Henrietta held up her hand. "I will not allow you to refuse this time Cardinal."

"Your Majesty?"

"And furthermore, that title is not mine. Louise is still Queen. I have not yet officially returned to the Throne of Tristain."

"But, Your Maje-, Henrietta, you are the rightful ruler of the Kingdom, your place is in Tristania."

"And your place is here."

Mazarin went silent and simply stared at Henrietta.

"Cardinal, you have served my family for decades, starting with my Grandfather Phillip III. And yet even after being elected to the Papacy once before you insisted that you stay and serve the Kingdom as regent during the difficult times following my father's death."

Mazarin gasped loudly as Henrietta knelt before him and took his hand.

"You have selflessly put aside your own ambitions for the good of my people, and I can never thank you enough Cardinal."

Mazarin tried to speak, but he could not. The emotional impact of seeing the true monarch of Tristain kneeling before _him _was overwhelming.

"Now I ask you to serve the people yet again, but not just the citizens of Tristain, but all of Halkeginia."

Henrietta stood and walked to the window.

"The power of the papacy is great, and the person who occupies it, can do great things."

She then gestured out the window toward the destruction caused by the battle, and the piles of debris that had yet to be cleared up.

"Yet that person can also do terrible things."

She turned to face Mazarin.

"That is why it is imperative that the right man occupy that office. That is why it must be you. Halkeginia has changed much these past months, and I believe that the old order is fading. The commoners will have new freedoms, and the nations of Halkeginia will seek peace with the elves, and use diplomatic means to secure refuge from the upcoming windstone crisis."

"So please, Cardinal, I beg you, accept the post."

Mazarin stood considering the Queen, and no matter what technicalities were involved, in his mind Henrietta was still Queen. After a time the Cardinal nodded his head.

"I'll accept, with your blessing Your Majesty."

Henrietta embraced her former advisor and friend.

"You have my blessing, now go and give Halkeginia the peace that it so rightly deserves."

* * *

Louise stood beside a small river just outside of the Romalian Capital as the twin moons' reflection rippled with the water.

She gasped slightly as the procession of tiny boats moved slowly down the river. Saito had spent the last three days that she had been sleeping preparing this ceremony to honor not only her mother, but all victims of the battle that had taken place here.

Saito had told her that this ceremony was called _Toro Nagashi_. It was a funerary custom from his homeland. It was a ceremony used to commemorate events in Japanese history that resulted in great loss of life.

Louise had watched as each boat was placed in the water and one by one a candle placed within the boat's paper body was lit by a fire mage.

There were thousands of flickering boats floating in the water, one for each death caused by battle. The ceremony held no distinction of which side a person fought for. Both Romalians and Tristainians were represented here.

Then Saito handed Louise a boat that he had made special just for her.

Louise carefully examined the boat. It was no bigger than the others. It was a simple square bottomed boat with a square paper body that formed a box for the candle sitting in its center.

As Louise turned the boat in her hand, she saw it.

The lettering written vertically down the center of one side of the paper box. Louise could not read it, but she recognized the characters from Saito's home country.

"What does it say?" She asked her husband.

Saito placed one arm around Louise and squeezed her shoulders.

"It says _Karin the Heavy Wind_."

Louise's eyes widened as she stared at the foreign letters on the side of the tiny boat, her mother's name written in Japanese Kanji.

She could hold back her emotions no more. Louise began to cry.

Saito held his wife close as she buried her face in his chest. He leaned his head close to hers and kissed her forehead.

Louise let go and one of the fire mages came by and lit the candle in the center of the boat.

After placing it in the water, Louise held onto Saito as the boat floated over to join the rest of them. Even amongst the heaving mass of flickering, and floating lanterns, Louise's eyes never left the one bearing her mother's name.

Her gazed remained firmly fixed until the lantern passed out of sight.

With all the boats gone, the crowd began to breakup.

Louise stopped her husband, and shot him a killing stare.

"Where is Robert?"

"Uhhh, I ordered him kept in the dungeon until we figure out what to do with him."

Louise closed her eyes and shook with anger.

"But, Henrietta asked me not to execute him!" Saito added quickly, sensing his wife's fury toward the commoner revolutionary.

"I heard that he wants to talk to us."

"That's right, I just thought that, what with everything going on, now wouldn't be the best time for-"

"Bring him up." Louise interrupted.

"You sure?"

"Saito that man set in motion the events that led us to come here." Louise paused and continued.

"He led my mother here, and now she is dead."

Louise gave Saito a look that left no room for argument.

"I need to hear what he has to say."

* * *

Robert de Sable shuffled along the hallway dragging his chains behind him. The two guards on either side of him plus the other two marching behind ensured no avenue of escape.

Not that Robert was intent on going anywhere anyway.

He'd been looking forward to this meeting for a long time.

Watching the four guards as they approached his cell gave Robert some cause for concern, until after they opened it and informed him that King Saito and Queen Louise wished to speak with him.

Now mere feet from his much longed for meeting, Robert suddenly began to feel nervous. He chuckled in spite of himself.

_Oh to be able afford such luxuries as fear._

The two guards at his side stepped forward an opened a set of double doors leading to a reception area.

There in the center of the room and all its opulence, was a long table.

Robert recognized several of those seated at the table. He mentally rattled of each name as his gaze went from one face to the next.

_Kirche von Zerbst, Professor Jean Colbert, Guiche Gramont, Montmorency, Tiffania Westwood, Queen Charlotte, and of course her familiar the dragon in human form, Queen Henrietta, and lastly Louise and Saito Hiraga. _

The guards pushed Robert into a chair at the foot of the table, opposite Saito and Louise, who were seated at the head. They then retreated to stand on either side of the doors.

It was then that Robert noticed another one at the table, one that he did not recognize, a blonde man with a youthful face, and grey eyes.

He appeared to be quite young, but he bore the demeanor of someone much older.

Robert stared at the man, as something about him did not seem quite right. He seemed human enough on the surface, but…..

"Interesting, a class three personal assistant android, heavily modified to appear as realistically human as possible."

Saito whipped his head in the direction of the android, and back to Robert.

"You know who he is?" Saito asked.

"No, not who, what."

Saito opened his mouth but Alexander stopped him with a touch on the wrist.

"I am a five hundred year old sentient machine. And I am well aware of who you are, Mr. Mason."

"Mason?"

"Robert Mason, an archeologist from Halkeginia. Born in Tristania, but educated on Earth. He is the foremost expert on magical relics and magical theory", expounded Alexander.

"You know my name; perhaps in the interest of fairness I could know yours?"

"Alexander Dufresne."

"Robots with a name, how novel, tell me Alexander, do you also make cole-slaw, or do I need to buy an attachment for that?"

Alexander pointed his arm at Robert while his plasma defense weapon sprung up from his forearm with a _click._

"Do not mock me flesh bag, or would you like to die before you're even born?"

"ENOUGH!"

This was from Henrietta. She looked at Robert with pleading eyes.

"Please tell them!"

Robert held up his manacled wrists, and Saito motioned for the guards to unlock the restraints.

Saito asked the first question.

"You said that you came from the future, why are you here?"

"I'm here to save existence."

Saito looked over to Alexander.

"That's what he said too."

The King looked back over to Robert.

"What is going on?"

Robert looked to Henrietta.

"You wanted to know how I know so much about your friends. Like how I knew that Louise was the Void Mage or that Saito was Gandalfr."

"I-I was a bit curious yes. No one but the people in this room and a select few government officials knew about Louise's Void, or the truth about Saito", replied Henrietta.

Saito gave Robert a penetrating stare.

"How did you know all those things?'

Robert pointed at his escort guards behind him.

"May I have that pouch?"

"No tricks Robert." warned Saito.

"Your Highness, you are surrounded by a room full of your closest friends; I have no chance of hurting you."

Saito nodded at the guard who brought Robert his pouch.

Henrietta's eyes widened as she saw Robert pull out his book.

It was a leather bound volume with a black leather cover and a maroon border around the front. The title was made of embossed gold lettering.

The title that Henrietta had been struggling to read ever since Robert first walked into her cell in Newcastle reading that book.

Robert held the book close to him and explained to Saito:

"When I was a young boy, about seven years old, I got sick with the flu, and was bedridden for days. My grandfather came to visit during this time and brought this book with him. He read it to me until I got better, and even after I was no longer bedridden, I asked to borrow the book so that I may finish the story. I was fascinated by this tale of romance and mages. Many years later when my grandfather died, I learned that he left me this book in his will. I have carried it with me ever since. Even as a young man, I still found the story to be quite enjoyable, and I even dedicated my career to studying the mage legends and their lost culture because of my childhood fascination with this book."

"In a way, I am here with you today, because of this book."

Robert slid the book across the table to Saito.

Saito caught the book and turned it around to read it.

Henrietta leaned next to Saito to see the book, the gold lettering on the cover in full view at last.

_The Familiar of Zero_

Saito opened the book and read the first line of the first page.

_This is the history of the couple's love, which began with the first kiss._

Saito continued to scan the pages, he turned page after page after page, before slamming the book shut and giving Robert a cold stare.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"It's no joke Saito. That's your story. The story of a boy summoned to another world to be a mage's familiar, the story of a familiar who fell in love with his master."

Every single person at the table turned to look at Louise and Saito, whose faces were deep crimson.

"H-h-h-how d-d-did you get t—this?" Saito stammered.

"I told you Saito, I'm from the future. The story of you and your wife's romance was already a popular legend on Halkeginia when the human race arrived here. Your story made its way to Earth where it became even more popular. There was even a movie made about you two, it swept the Oscars, though Louise's domestic violence had to be toned down a bit for Earth audiences."

Saito and Louise each wore matching slack jawed expressions.

Saito abruptly became serious.

"Wait, did you just say that humans came here?"

Robert nodded.

"Humans from Earth?" Saito asked.

Again, Robert nodded.

Saito leaned back in his chair, wide eyed and frightened. Nothing good could possibly have come from the human race's arrival on Halkeginia, he believed.

Robert was about to confirm Saito's worst fears.

"Saito, why did you lie to these people about your world?"

Saito looked back up to Robert, his expression becoming even more fearful.

"W-what do you mean?"

Robert motioned for Saito to pass the book back to him. Upon receiving it, Robert flipped through several pages until he found the passage he was looking for.

Saito began trembling as Robert quoted his own words from a story book.

"_Neither guys nor girls go to war."_

Saito protested, "I didn't mean that war didn't exist there. I meant that in Japan….."

"You lied Saito. Maybe not lied outright, but it was definitely an omission."

All the mages at the table fixed their eyes on Saito.

Henrietta and Tabitha both gave cold stares at him.

Louise, who had been to Saito's world, just looked confused.

"I've been to Saito's world." Louise protested. There was no war there, it was a wonderful place with tall buildings and self moving carriages, and-"

"That is true Your Majesty, there is no war in Saito's country, but much like Halkeginia, there is more than one country on Saito's world. On Earth, war is happening somewhere every day."

Henrietta and Tabitha stared at Saito, who looked very uncomfortable at the moment.

Robert continued to press the King of Tristain.

"You never told them of your own country's history of war. You never told them about what war did to the Japanese people."

Robert's voice began to rise; he stood up and pressed both palms against the table's surface as he leaned toward Saito.

"What about Hiroshima, Saito? Did you tell them what happened there? How about Nagasaki, ever talk about that city either."

"What happened in those cities?" asked Professor Colbert.

Robert opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Saito.

"They were two cities in my country that were completely destroyed by war. The enemy used a very powerful weapon, one that could destroy an entire city. In both cities combined, the death toll was hundreds of thousands."

Saito said this in a melancholic tone while staring down at the floor.

He slowly looked up and faced the now shocked expressions of his friends.

"Robert is right, my world is a place of constant warfare, and we do have powerful weapons. You saw what these weapons can do when I destroyed the Ancient Dragon."

Saito then looked to Robert.

"What does any of this have to do with a book about myself and Louise, or why you came here?"

Robert sat back down and leaned back in his chair.

"Saito, when you stole a fighter jet, the authorities took notice. Your disappearance with the plane began an investigation which culminated in Halkeginia's discovery by the humans."

Saito sat up straight.

"They found the way to get here through the eclipse?"

"They found more than that Saito, you see, Halkeginia is a continent on a planet, orbiting a star forty-three light years from Earth."

Robert gestured toward Louise.

"Technically Saito, you married an alien."

Louise snapped her head towards her husband.

"Alien? Saito what's an alien?"

"It's what earthlings call someone who comes from another world."

Louise thought for a moment.

"So you're an alien then?"

Saito seemed slightly embarrassed.

"Ahh, well, I guess I am."

Robert just shook his head and continued.

"The Earth governments sent unmanned drones through the portal every eclipse. They studied Halkeginia and its population, but there is only so much one can learn from a distance, the humans wanted to explore this world personally."

As Robert explained, Saito's face slowly drained of color, he has a bad feeling about where this was heading.

"Using information gathered from the drones, Earth astronomers were eventually able to pinpoint Halkeginia's parent star in the sky."

"Saito, this discovery had a profound effect on the human race. The discovery of life on another world was huge. Astronomers had already estimated that the Milky Way Galaxy alone had over 60 billion habitable worlds, now they had proof of life on another planet, so one could imagine the implications for human civilization."

"The humans finally got serious about faster than light space travel. It took them four centuries to develop and perfect the technology, but they pulled it off."

"The arrival of the humans had a profound effect on the nobility as well, and I'm sure it must have taken some effort on their part to wrap their heads around a non-magic wielding species being so powerful. Initial relations between the humans and the mages were cordial, but frosty. It was during this cultural exchange that the story of yours and Louise's romance found its way to Earth and became so popular."

"So humans and mages were able to get along then?" Saito asked with hope.

Henrietta and Tabitha shook their heads.

"As I explained to Queens Henrietta and Charlotte, relations between mages and humans were somewhat cordial…..for a while."

"What happened?" asked Saito.

"War."

"What?"

"War Saito, something that your people are extremely adept at, as you already know."

By now Saito was completely pale. War between the nobles and the human race would be a decidedly one sided competition. Saito knew that for all their arrogance and bluster, the nobility of Halkeginia would not stand a chance in a full scale war against Earth's military forces.

He wanted to ask Robert about the outcome, but he didn't have to, the answer was written on Robert's face.

It was a slaughter.

"How many mages survived?" Saito asked fearfully.

"None", was Robert's reply.

"They _all_ died?"

Robert again leaned forward and enunciated each word for emphasis.

"All of them."

Every, single, mage at the table covered their mouths in shock.

"What- what does that mean?" asked Tiffania.

Saito tried to speak, but couldn't. He just could not come up with the words to express the abashment he felt against humanity.

"It means that people from Saito's world came here, and conquered it. And in doing so they committed genocide against the Halkeginian Nobility."

Everyone looked at Saito, who sat limply in his chair. He wanted to cry, he really did, but he didn't have the strength. The shock was simply too great.

Guiche opened and closed his mouth. The noble in him wanted to say that it was impossible, a world of commoners could never pose a threat to the mages, but he knew better. He'd seen Saito's strength in battle first hand, and if he was in any way representative of the rest of his world, then the nobility was done.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the room, nobody wanted to speak. Everyone was simply trying to digest what Robert had told them.

Saito broke the sullen stillness.

"Why would they do such a thing?"

"In all honesty Saito, I don't know. I have researched the war as much as I can, and I have found very little information. The war was five hundred years before my time, and most records have been destroyed. It would seem that the perpetrators of this egregious transgression engaged in an elaborate cover up."

"However, I was able to find a reference to something called_ Starfall_, and a project that was meant to research the beneficial properties of DNA harvested from a human subspecies of extra-terrestrial origin that possessed supernatural abilities."

"It is not too much of a stretch to infer that somebody did not want this project to go forward. One could imagine the implications of Markey DNA being introduced into the human genome. And destroying the research subjects would be a very effective method of ensuring that the DNA in question never reaches the human population."

"If all of this is not going to happen for centuries, then why come here? What were you trying to accomplish by starting a rebellion here?" Saito asked.

"Again, as I explained to Henrietta and Charlotte, the deciding factor in the war between the Markey and the humans was technology. The earthlings had it, and the nobles did not. Even without the benefit of historical hindsight, the outcome would be obvious. So I decided to come back in time and try to reengineer Halkeginia's feudal society into a modern one. If I could introduce modern concepts such as individual freedom and merit based societal advancement, then perhaps before Earth gets here, a technological revolution will have already take place on Halkeginia, and the nobles can face the earthlings on a more level playing field."

"Wait a second." Saito said incredulously. "You're saying that you started a rebellion against the nobility, causing many of them to die in the process, to save them?"

"Yes."

"That's crazy!"

"I understand your reluctance to believe me, but I swear that is the truth! If the nobility are destroyed, then I fear the rest of existence will follow them into oblivion."

"You are the second person to tell me that you're saving existence."

Saito gave Robert a piercing stare.

"What the hell is going on?"

Robert sighed uncomfortably.

"Several years ago a star near the outer edge of the galaxy went dark. Then another, and another, soon entire clusters of stars were disappearing, and some were hosting worlds with civilizations. Trillions died Saito and the best scientists on Earth or anywhere else were at a complete loss as to explain how this was happening."

"However, I recognized what was happening immediately, someone was using the power of the Void to turn the stars' cores into iron."

Saito, who had very little scientific knowledge beyond the basics that were taught in school, just looked puzzled.

Robert explained.

"A star sustains itself through thermonuclear reactions within its core. A large star will eventually fuse heavier and heavier elements until it begins to fuse atoms into iron, when the star begins trying to fuse iron, all reactions within the star cease, and it collapses."

Saito nodded his head slowly, the gathered nobles, of course were both fascinated as well as completely lost. They had no idea what Saito and Robert were talking about, other than that it had something to do with stars.

"But you just said that the mages were all dead. There should be no one left alive who could use Void."

"That is my thinking as well, and you are correct Saito, the Markey are the only _corporeal_ species capable of using the Void, however unlike the other four elements, Void goes well beyond the natural or physical realm of existence."

"Void is literally the stuff of the Universe. It is sea where the stars, the galaxies, and all life drift, and bob. Void is what space and time are made of."

Saito raised his hand to stop Robert.

"But the Universe is infinitely massive, even if putting out the stars could end the Universe, it would take eons to cause any serious damage."

The King shook his head.

"It almost sounds like something the Water Spirit would come up with." Saito mused.

Robert cupped his hands around an imaginary object to illustrate his next point.

"Think of a bubble floating delicately in an air current. That bubble is the whole of existence itself. Now the matter making up the walls of the bubble have to be in perfect balance in order for the bubble to be sustained. If anything disrupts that balance, if one side of the wall gets too thin, or if something from outside were to pierce it, the bubble would pop."

"It takes a large amount of Void energy to turn something as massive as the core of a star into iron, even a square class mage who specialized in alchemy could not perform such a feat. If one were to gather a large enough amount of Void energy in one place, the bubble of our existence could be disrupted and pop."

Saito was left speechless.

"That is why it is so important that I succeed Saito. Technology is powerless against this threat, only the descendents of Brimir have the ability to stop this from happening."

Unnoticed by the conversing pair, Tabitha began to eye Alexander angrily. Ever since she saw what was in the android's memories she had been treating him quite differently. And listening to Robert and Saito's conversation brought the meaning behind those memories into sharp focus.

Everyone looked up at Tabitha as she abruptly stood up and left the room.

"Tabitha, where are you going?" asked Kirche.

"To my room."

Alexander suddenly stood up as well.

Saito watched as Alexander left the room, and as soon as the door shut, everyone's attention turned back to Robert,

"You were successful in your efforts to reshape Halkeginia, Robert." Henrietta said softly.

"You did it."

Robert looked to Saito.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes Robert." Saito replied. "The other Kingdoms are going to sign the _Declaration of Commoner's Rights_, and with Mazarin as the new Pope, the Church will be more accepting of reform."

Robert leaned back in his seat and smiled. He did it. While it wasn't guarantee that the mages would survive, it was a start.

He would just have to go home and see how things turned out.

Saito seemed to read Robert's mind.

"You arrived here using that artifact in the catacombs?"

"Yes."

"Good, because I am ordering the guards to release you."

Robert looked at Saito with slight suspicion.

"I am free to go?"

"You are, and I suggest you use your freedom to return to where, or when, you belong as soon as possible."

* * *

Alexander quickened his pace down the hall, walking faster and faster until he was almost running.

He finally caught his quarry.

"Wait!" He said as he caught Queen Charlotte's arm.

The petite Queen turned her head to face the android.

"What do you want?"

"We need to talk."

The Queen thought deeply for a few moments, her desire for an explanation was fighting against her new found dislike for this….._thing._

"Agreed", she said quietly, her curiosity emerging as the victor.

She pointed down the corridor.

"In my room."

* * *

Robert de Sable walked down the corridors of the Cathedral of Brimir deep in thought. He kept reminding himself that he'd had done all he could, and that the fate of existence was now in the hands of those who had yet to be born.

Saito had ordered Robert to use the artifact to return home, and yet, as homesick as he felt, he was still reluctant to leave this time period. His favorite childhood story was not a story at all, it was true, and all those legends that he spent his life studying were more than just artifacts and second hand accounts of dubious origin.

Here, in this place, legends lived and breathed.

Here, Robert felt alive.

_And yet,_ thought Robert, _even if I was born in this time period, I would probably live my life as just another oppressed commoner, accepting it all and never knowing any different._

He was still thinking hard about how his life might be different in this time when he suddenly realized that he had arrived at his destination.

Queen Charlotte's quarters.

He did not fail to notice the Queen's hasty departure and felt obligated to check on her before he left. He did kidnap her after all, and as such felt as though he were responsible for the blue haired royal's trauma.

Robert raised his hand to knock when he heard voices. Knowing that it was rare for a Queen to accept guests in their personal quarters, Robert decided to investigate. If it turned out that he was interrupting something _intimate, _he'd apologize and beg not to be executed.

Robert grasped the door handle, turned the knob, threw open the door and…..

Saw the Queen engaged in what seemed to be a heated discussion with the android.

"Oh" Robert said after an awkward silence. "I saw you leave the meeting rather hastily and so I decided to check and see if Your Majesty was alright."

"She's fine, so you may go now", said Alexander.

"No" interrupted Tabitha.

"Stay."

Alexander looked at the Queen.

"Your Majesty, making this _criminal _part of our discussion is not a good idea—"

"Tell him."

"Excuse me Your Majesty?"

"He should know."

"You can't be serious."

"Tell me what?" interjected Robert.

Tabitha glared at the android.

"Tell him, or I will."

Alexander gawked at the Queen. She left no room for argument.

Robert glared pensively at Alexander.

"You know what's happening don't you.

"I already fixed the problem, your little social engineering experiment was not necessary!"

Alexander brought himself nose to nose with Robert.

"How many innocents died because of your little rebellion? Thousands of nobles, tens of thousands of peasants! All your meddling managed to accomplish was a lot of unnecessary bloodshed!"

"The Markey are the only ones who can stop what is happening, I had to save them!"

"THE MARKEY DO NOT NEED TO BE SAVED!"

Robert blinked and stepped back. He was caught off guard by the android's sudden outburst.

Alexander shook his head as he calmed down.

"The Markey race died because they were arrogant and picked a fight with someone more powerful than they were. And your assertion that they hold the key to our survival is flawed. I was there the day the Markey went extinct and I can tell you, they can no more stand up to what is causing the stars to go out any better than they could stand up to automatic weapons and orbital bombardment."

Robert slowly licked his lips.

"You said you already fixed the problem then? How?"

"You heard about how I saved Saito and Louise from the elf?"

Robert was puzzled.

"Soooooo what, you're saying that Saito is somehow connected to what is causing this."

Alexander turned away from Robert and slowly walked over to the window. He stared outside for several moments before answering.

"Saito is not just connected to what's causing the stars to go out."

The android turned to face Robert again.

"Saito _is _the cause."

Robert looked at Alexander suspiciously.

_No, that can't be true, _he thought, _and besides….._

"The stars do not begin going dark for another millennia, and while Saito may be a larger than life figure here, he is still just a man, and men do not live that long."

Alexander smiled at Robert.

"You're right, a human cannot live that long."

Alexander sighed.

"And Saito is no longer human."

Robert felt his knees go weak. He slowly backed away until he found a chair. Once he was seated he asked the android to explain what happened.

Alexander took a seat on the Queens bed opposite to Robert. He looked over to Tabitha who nodded her head.

"As I said before, I saved The King and Queen from the elven assassin in Tristania a few months ago. Unfortunately, that is not how things played out the first time."

"The first time?" Robert asked.

"I was there when the elf attacked; he defeated both Louise and Saito. When the elf saw the elven spirit stone that Bidashal had given Saito, he became enraged; he wanted to hurt Saito in the worst possible way for possessing that stone."

"Wait, you were there once before and you did nothing? Why?"

"I couldn't do anything."

"What do you mean you couldn't do anything? You're an android! You have weapons and strength well beyond what any organic being could possess, and besides, you're intelligent! I have never known anyone to produce an artificial life form demonstrating the level sentience that you—"

Suddenly Robert stopped, his eyes widened in shock and he covered his mouth. He stood up and approached Alexander.

"Oh my God", Robert breathed. "It's you. I mean, it's really you! I should have seen it before. Making a realistic looking machine is easy, but engineering true artificial intelligence has never been done. It's impossible to do; only God can create the soul, or at least someone with the power of God."

Robert stared at Alexander.

"Isn't that right… _Derflinger?_"

Robert then looked at Tabitha.

"You knew?"

Tabitha nodded.

Alexander laced his fingers and spoke to Robert.

"During the battle it became necessary for me to share my memories with Charlotte. I intended only to share my memory of the elf, so that she would locate him and _teleport_ me there. Unfortunately….she was able to access all of my memories."

Alexander glanced at the Queen who merely glared in return.

"She knows everything."

Robert sat back down.

"What happened to Saito when the elf attacked?"

"Saito was mortally wounded, the elf used me to try and kill my Partner. Then the elf spotted the stone, and he became enraged that a _barbarian _would possess such a thing."

Alexander leaned forward.

"Robert, you remember how Tiffania healed Saito after he fought the 70,000?"

"Yes."

"Well the spirit stone Saito possessed was the same kind that Tiffania used to heal him, only it was much, much bigger. The elf used the stone to heal Saito, only the stone was so large and contained so much magic that it did more than just heal him. It made him immortal. The elf then used me to behead Louise."

Alexander looked at the floor as he spoke; the memories of that day were beginning to overwhelm him.

"It was the elf's ultimate cruelty. By making Saito immortal and killing Louise, he not only separated them in this life, but ensured that they could never be reunited in the next either."

"After the humans arrived, Saito was able to arrange transport back to Earth. He'd hoped that being back home would help him get over Louise and move on, but immortality has a way of tormenting the mind. After the documents from the Magic Academy were relocated to Earth, Saito pored over them day and night, looking for some way to bring Louise back from the dead. He became obsessed with the Void, convinced that it somehow held the key to resurrecting his beloved."

"Yet even after he gained the powers of the Founder himself, Saito still could not find a way to bring Louise back into this realm, and Saito was unable to die, thus could not cross over to where he knew that she would be waiting for him."

"Over the past thousand years, I watched as my Partner, my friend, slowly tormented himself over Louise's death. Over the centuries, Saito surrendered more and more of his humanity in exchange for greater power within the Void, until finally there was no more of the man I knew left within him."

Robert and Tabitha sat in silence, unable to fully digest the pain and anguish Saito must have experienced after losing Louise.

"Finally, after centuries of searching, Saito finally came to the conclusion that resurrecting Louise was impossible, and so he began to search for ways to end his own life. All his efforts to that end failed and Saito was left to wallow in anguish while being eternally separated from the woman he loved. Until one day, Saito became convinced that the only way to end his existence was to end _all _existence. It was at that moment that I realized that my friend was truly gone for good. The Saito I knew would never sacrifice others for his own ends."

"So I left, and used the artifact Robert discovered to travel back in time. I meant to kill Saito while he was still mortal, but just as I was about to end him, he asked me not to harm Louise. It was then that I realized that I could not kill him. Just seeing him as he once was: young, heroic, and completely selfless, I just could not do it. So I made him promise that no matter what he lost, he would never forget the hero that he was right now."

Robert interrupted.

"So you decided instead to go and save them both from the elf, thus preventing the tragedy that caused Saito to threaten existence in the first place."

"Yes, so you see by saving their lives, I also saved existence. There is no reason to worry about the fate of the Markey."

Robert sat staring at the wall behind Alexander/Derflinger. The expression on his face made it seem as though he were sulking. If what this android was saying was true, then all of Robert's efforts at creating a new Halkeginian society were for nothing.

Alexander seemed to pick up on his thoughts.

"Despite what I may have said earlier, you may have done a lot of good for Halkeginia. I've lived for over 7,000 years, and I have never seen change come this quickly to Halkeginia, at least not before the arrival of Saito's people."

"I have just one other question Derflinger."

Alexander tensed at Robert's use of his true name but let it pass.

"When do you plan on telling Saito about this?"

"I don't and neither will you."

Alexander looked to Robert and then to Tabitha, trying to gage whether or not they will be able to keep his secret.

"I changed his destiny by saving him and Louise. There is no reason to alarm them further with this information, agreed?"

Robert and Tabitha looked at one another for a moment before reluctantly agreeing.

Alexander stood and moved to the door.

"Good, now are we finished here?"

Robert stood up as well.

"Saito ordered me to return home, so I'll be leaving tonight."

He then spoke directly to Alexander.

"I suggest you do the same, but promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Remind Saito that as soon as you leave, he is to destroy that artifact. Time travel is much too dangerous, particularly in the hands of the nobility."

Alexander nodded.

"Good." Robert turned to face the Queen and tipped his metaphorical hat. "Your Majesty."

* * *

Deep in the catacombs beneath the Cathedral of Brimir, Robert de Sable descended the steps into the Founder's burial chamber. Once again the magical lamps activated and flooded the chamber with light.

And once again, Robert faced the artifact that brought him here, the _Founder's Blessing._

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Pope's Ruby of Fire. After slipping the ring on his finger, Robert stretched out his hand and brought it close to the _Blessing, _and once again a red light matching the ring's color flowed from the seams and runes carved into the artifact's sides.

_Well, Saito made it clear that I have worn out my welcome, _thought Robert.

Still he would have liked to gotten know this place better, even if in this time he was a wanted man.

Robert closed his eyes, and pictured his home. He pictured the towering spires of New Tristania, the gleaming cities on Halkeginia's moons and the constant flow of traffic in and out of Albion's spaceport.

Robert smiled at these thoughts and spoke to himself.

"Well Robert, look on the bright side. At least now you'll be able to enjoy a bathroom again."

He chuckled in spite of himself.

"God I miss toilets."

Robert brought his hand just above the surface of the artifact. He needed only to touch it and he would be brought back to his home.

"Robert!"

Robert's eyes snapped open as he withdrew his hand from the artifact.

It was Henrietta.

"I know that Saito told you to leave, but…." Her voice trailed off.

"You weren't even going to say goodbye?"

Robert gave the Queen a deadpan glare.

"Uhmmm, Goodbye."

"Aaaughhhhhh" The Queen shouted in frustration.

"You are the most incorrigible man I know!"

"Look, Saito made it clear that I've overstayed my welcome."

"It doesn't mean that you have to leave immediately." She said softly.

"I'm sorry Your Majesty, but I don't belong here. I must return to my own time. Now please Henrietta, I need you to leave the room. I 'm not sure what the effective range of this thing is and I don't want you getting swept away with me."

Henrietta closed her eyes and lowered her head in anger.

_Idiot, _she thought. It seemed that getting swept away was more along the lines of what Henrietta had in mind than Robert realized.

Even if she wasn't yet aware of it herself.

The Queen abruptly turned on her heels and went back up the stairs.

Stopped at the doorway and took one last look at Robert.

And then, she was gone, the last thing that Robert saw was a few whips of her purple hair disappearing through the entryway.

Once Henrietta left the room, Robert's expression changed from cold indifference to one of heartfelt longing. It would seem that he had gotten more attached to the Queen than he realized.

He shook his head to clear away those thoughts, falling in love was a luxury he could ill afford.

Again Robert brought his hand bearing the Ruby of Fire close to the _Blessing. _There would be no hesitating this time, resolved Robert.

He placed his hand firmly against the surface of the artifact, closed his eyes and awaited the rush of energy that would accompany his displacement through time.

He waited…..

….and waited…..

…..and waited.

_Nothing_

Tentatively, Robert opened his eyes. He was still in the Founder's burial chamber.

He looked at his hand and then the artifact with puzzlement. He didn't understand.

This should have worked.

"You're still here?"

Henrietta had peeked into the chamber; apparently she had gotten impatient waiting for something to happen.

She began to slowly descend the staircase.

"Hmmm" She said sarcastically. "It would seem that you are going to stuck with me a while longer."

Robert rolled his eyes with equal sarcasm.

"Lucky me."

* * *

Tabitha tossed and turned in her bed. A few feet away Irrukkuku, her familiar, slept soundly.

Sleep would not come to the Gallian Queen so easily; she could not get her mind off the things she saw in Alexander's memories.

_No, Derflinger, _she reminded herself.

She replayed the future events in her head over and over, the end of the Markey race, the thing that Saito would become, or would have become, without Alexander's intervention.

Suddenly, Tabitha sat up in her bed. She heard something.

_Was that…..music?_

It was a strange melody that somehow made her long for her home of Gallia. And yet it also filled her with a strong desire to go downstairs.

_Where downstairs?_

_In the catacombs?_

Tabitha then realized that she didn't just want to go down to the catacombs, she _needed _to go there.

All the answers that she sought could be found down there. She knew this because the melody told her.

Tabitha got out of bed and left the room.

Sensing something was amiss, Irrukkuku woke with a start.

"Sis?" she said as she watched Tabitha walk out of the room.

"Sis!" she called out as she got up to follow. "Where are you going?"

Tabitha gave no reply. She just continued down the hall, with her familiar in tow.

* * *

Saito woke suddenly along with his wife Louise.

"Do you hear that?" he asked.

"Yes, it's music. It's—"

Saito recognized it too. It was the melody that Tiffania had played for Saito back in Westwood village. It was also the melody that was played by the Founder's Music Box, the melody that always led you home.

The King and Queen looked at one another, and got out of bed. They too were possessed by the inescapable need to go down into the catacombs. Saito grabbed Derflinger and followed his wife out of the bedroom.

For reasons that they could not explain, they walked down the hallway, and followed the music.

As did Professor Jean Colbert, Tiffania Westwood, Kirche von Zerbst, Montmorency, Guiche Gramont, and Alexander Dufresne.

One by one they rose from their beds and followed the Founder's melody down into the catacombs.

* * *

Robert and Henrietta turned as Saito and the mages descended the stairs into the Founder's burial chamber.

Henrietta and Robert exchanged curious looks and eyed the crowd that had gathered around them and the _Founder's Blessing_.

"Robert!" Saito exclaimed. "What are you doing? Are the one who played the music?"

"Music?" Robert asked.

"You heard it too?" said Kirche.

"It seems we all did", explained Louise. "Now what is going on here?"

Henrietta stepped in front of Robert.

"What are you talking about? I've been here with Robert the entire time, he didn't do anything."

Robert slowly brushed Henrietta aside and stepped forward.

"What did you hear?"

"It was the music from the Founder's Box." Tiffania said quietly.

Robert looked at the assemblage and took inventory. Saito, Louise, Colbert, Montmorency, Guiche, Tabitha, and her familiar, Kirche, Tiffania, and of course the android.

He looked to his right at Henrietta.

_Everybody is here, strange._

Robert turned and approached the _Blessing._ Once again the red light poured forth as he brought the Ruby of Fire near it. It was working again.

_Of course, _Robert realized.

He turned to face the gathering.

"What's happening Robert?" asked Saito sternly.

"The Void….is what's happening."

"Huh?" they all said simultaneously.

"Void is not like one of your four elements." explained Robert. "It has a mind of its own. If the Void called you here, it did so with a purpose."

Robert brought his hand closer to the artifact.

Alexander brought his arm up and leveled his plasma cannon at Robert.

"Don't do it, Robert!"

"You're a creature of the Void Alexander; surely you understand what's happening here."

"They don't belong there Robert, anymore than we belong here."

"This is out of my hands android, this is the will of the Void. I'm sorry, but I already tried to go home once before and it didn't work, and now that you're all here, it's working perfectly. I can't explain it, I just _feel_ deep inside that this is what it wants me to do."

Alexander's cannon whined as he charged it.

"Damn it Robert, I will shoot you!"

"Then you must shoot."

With that Robert slammed his hand bearing the Ruby of Fire atop the _Founder's Blessing._ Alexander fired, and his plasma shot curved down away from Robert and was absorbed by the artifact.

The _Blessing _heaved and pulsed with energy. The Saito and the nobles begin to panic slightly, not knowing what was about to happen.

Suddenly a wave of translucent purple energy show out from the artifact in all directions. Everyone was thrown back by the wave and into the chamber walls.

Just before his vision left him, Saito saw the room engulfed by a bright light, followed by darkness and silence.

* * *

Saito saw nothing but black emptiness. He blinked his eyes several times to confirm that they were indeed open. Then he panicked.

"Ahhhhhhh! I'm blind! I thought that all that stuff about going blind was just a myth!"

"It's just dark in here Saito, what are you talking about?" asked Montmorency.

"Trust me, you don't _want_ to know what he's talking about." Louise said in an annoyed tone.

A fireball burst forth and shot toward the ceiling. It hung in the air and illuminated the chamber.

"There, that should be fine for now, said Professor Colbert satisfactorily.

They looked around; they were still in the Founder's burial chamber. However now it looked _different, _older even. The walls were cracked and broken in places, and where the stairs once led to an entranceway to exit the chamber, now led to a pile of rubble.

But most importantly, the space beneath the Founder's statue once occupied by the _Founder's Blessing _was now empty.

The artifact was gone.

"What happened?" Asked Kirche.

She then pointed up toward the rubble.

"Did the ceiling collapse?"

"Were trapped?" Montmorency asked fearfully.

"Don't worry Montmorency." Guiche cooed "I'm an earth mage. I'll have us out of here in no time."

"I'm always worried around you Guiche", Montmorency shot back as Guiche pulled out his rose wand and started clearing a path through the rubble.

Alexander found Robert lying flat on his back and rubbing his eyes.

The android grabbed Robert and jerked him to his feet.

"I hope you're satisfied with yourself. Alexander said angrily.

Robert merely stared blankly. He could think of nothing to say.

They both watched as a smiling Guiche moved boulder after boulder out of the way and cleared a path out of the chamber.

After a while, the way was clear.

They climbed up and out of the catacombs, Saito led the way, but soon he stopped.

"That's not right. There is supposed to be a hallway here that leads up into the Cathedral, but I'm seeing sunlight already."

Everyone looked, and sure enough there was sunlight streaming through where the tunnel ended abruptly.

Saito emerged from the tunnel and gasped.

"Oh my God!"

"Saito! What are you—"Louise stopped cold.

One by one the nobles came into the sunlight, and one by one they covered their mouths in shock.

Tabitha and Colbert dropped their staffs, Tiffania screamed, Kirche turned away, not bearing to look anymore, and Montmorency cried and buried her face in Guiche's chest.

Henrietta clung tightly to Robert's hand and cried.

It was utter devastation.

Where the gleaming architectural works of art that made up the city of Romalia once stood, there were only piles of rubble.

Complete and total destruction as far as the eye could see. Nothing remained.

They turned around to face what should have been the Cathedral of Brimir.

It wasn't there, just the broken and destroyed carcass of a once proud monument to the Brimiric faith. The remnants of the Cathedral hung open like a rotting wound.

The Romalian sky was a cauldron of thick roiling yellow clouds.

Robert stared at the scene with abject horror. Despite all his efforts, he'd changed nothing. Halkeginia was still a battlefield, and the mages had lost.

Alexander reached down and grabbed a handful of soil. He produced a wand like device and held it close to dirt in his palm.

It made a rapid clicking noise, almost like static.

Saito recognized the sound, as well as the devastation. He'd seen the photographs in school, the pictures of the aftermath of an attack by the most powerful weapons that man could conceive.

Saito bent over and retched. He collapsed to all four limbs as bile and vomit spilled out of him and splashed to the broken stones on the ground.

"Saito!" Louise shouted as she knelt to help him.

Saito was breathing heavily, too disgusted to look anymore.

He shut his eyes and saw the pictures, the burnt cities, the charred corpses of victims. He remembered those two cities that belonged to a very exclusive club.

Hiroshima…..

Nagasaki…..

And now….

_Romalia._

Still breathing heavy, Saito looked up at his wife.

"I think-I think-"Saito swallowed. "People from my world did this."

Louise gasped.

Alexander helped Saito to his feet.

"We can't stay; the radiation will become fatal if we don't get you out of here.

Alexander held his wrist up to his mouth.

"White Knight to Red Dragon, White Knight to Red Dragon, are you there?"

For a few moments static came out of the android's wrist.

"_Red Dragon here. Captain, is that you?"_

"Yes, now lock on to my transmission and get down here! I am in the hot zone with civilians. I say again, I have civilians in the hot zone!"

"_Red Dragon copies all were descending now. ETA five mikes."_

Saito looked at Alexander. "Captain?"

"It's a long story."

"Excuse me, but what happened to Romalia?" asked Professor Colbert.

"I'll explain everything as soon as we are on board."

"On board what, you have a ship?"

Before Alexander could answer, a strange metallic creature rose up from a nearby pile of rubble. It was about the size of a large bird, and it just hovered there, almost as if it were staring at them with its single red eye."

To the noble's great surprise, the metal creature spoke.

"_You are in a restricted area; throw down your weapons and surrender. You have fifteen seconds to comply."_

Alexander raised his arm cannon and fired. The machine exploded in a shower of sparks and metal. Its red glowing eye went dim.

"Security drones", Alexander said, "more will be coming so arm your selves. If you have wands use them."

Sure enough within minutes they were surrounded by more creatures, each one glaring at them with a glowing red eye.

The mages closed ranks and formed a circle, Louise began casting _Explosion_, Tabitha followed suit while Kirche and Professor Colbert hit them with _Fireballs_. Drone, after drone went down, but more kept coming. The mages were going to run out of willpower before they ran out of drones.

Suddenly a much larger creature burst from the clouds. It was an enormous red dragon. It had wings pointing rearward and legs tucked underneath, and where its legs should have turned into feet, two glowing blue pillars of fire shot out from behind instead.

Suddenly, multiple burst of yellow light emerged from its shoulders. The blasts of light hit the drones one after another and destroyed them. Soon the mages were surrounded by piles of sparking, twisted metal.

The dragon let out a loud whine and spun in the air as its legs extended and landed. Piles of rubble crunched and collapsed under the beast's weight.

Suddenly, the underside of the dragon's neck swung downward and doorway opened up at the far end.

Someone emerged from the hole and started waving them inside.

"Come on! Come on! Let's go!"

"Come on move!" shouted Alexander.

Saito, Robert, and the mages ran over to the strange metallic beast. Tabitha looked up at the creature's head and saw a familiar word emblazoned the side.

_Ivaldi_

The man continued to wave at them as they climbed up the boarding ramp.

As soon as everyone was aboard, the man hit a button on the wall and the ramp rose up into the dragon's neck and closed.

"Captain!" the man said. "It's good to see you again!"

"It's good to see you too Simon", said a smiling Alexander as he shook Simon's hand.

"We've been holding position in orbit as ordered, but it's been three days. Where have you been all this time?"

_Three days,_ thought Alexander.

"From my perspective it's been nearly a year."

Simon popeyed.

"Time travel, it's a trip!"

Simone turned to the gathered mages.

"Who- who are all these people, why do we have people coming aboard the ship?"

Simon once again eyed the unexpected guests. A busty red haired woman waived seductively and said "Hiiiiiiiii."

Alexander turned Simon away by his shoulders.

"Well, they're an endangered species."

"Oh, really Captain. Big breasted women are an endangered species, that's interesting because I happen to know a few that I could introduce you to. In fact I've always felt that you needed to get out more—"

Alexander gently placed his hand over Simon's mouth.

"What's our status?"

"Our status is that we've been sitting in orbit twiddling our thumbs for three days while you went artifact hunting. By the way, where is the prize? I thought it was supposed to be in a museum in New Tristania, how the hell did you end up all the way out here?"

"Again, it's a long story."

"Well, at least tell me you got my message that the _Valliere_ was on its way to collect that thing."

"Yes, and believe me, they're welcome to it."

"What? Then what was the whole point of this trip? Where's our payday?"

"Believe me Simon, I've brought something a lot more valuable than money."

"Gold? Platinum? An energy substitute for windstones?"

"Them", said Alexander gesturing to the mages behind him.

"Riiiiiight", replied Simon.

Alexander turned to face his guests.

"Follow me everyone, you'll need to be inoculated for your radiation exposure."

Suddenly a female voice came from a speaker in the wall.

"Hey we've got more sweeper drones coming in, we've got to go now!"

Simon chimed in, "And the radiation can't be doing our engines any good."

Alexander sighed heavily.

"Fine, get us into orbit!"

"Gone!"

And with that, Simon ran off down the corridor.

Alexander once again faced his noble guests.

"Welcome aboard the _Ivaldi_, now if you'll please come with me."

Alexander led them to another room with seats lined up in two rows running the length of the room and facing each other.

"Have a seat. Saito, Robert, help the nobles get strapped in, I highly doubt they've ever seen a seatbelt before."

Robert and Saito helped Louise, Tiffania, Guiche, Tabitha, Irrukkuku, Montmorency, Professor Colbert and Henrietta buckle in, while Alexander showed them how to turn their seats forward and lock them into position.

Once everyone was secured in their seats, the mages heard the voice belonging to Simon ring out from the walls.

"_Ladies and Gentlemen this is your pilot speaking, make sure that you are securely fastened in your seats and clench up your cheeks, because this is going to be one hard takeoff."_

Alexander snorted. "Smartass."

Everyone felt the floor move beneath them, the mages cried out with alarm as they felt gravity pulling them from behind rather than from beneath.

"Saitooooooo! What's happening?" screamed Louise.

"I think we're pointing straight up", yelled Saito back to his wife.

The red dragon starship had indeed rotated its body ninety degrees and was now pointing straight up to the heavens.

With aloud whine its engines kicked in hard and the ship rose into the Halkeginian sky.

Inside the nobles screamed as the _G _forces pulled them back in their seats.

After a few minutes Simon's voice rang out from the walls once more.

"_Ladies and Gentlemen this is your pilot speaking again. If you'll look directly behind you you'll see the continent of Halkeginia rapidly fading into the distance. Once again I'd like to thank you for flying with us aboard the Ivaldi today, and if there is anything I can do to make your flight more enjoyable, please do not hesitate to kiss my ass."_

The ship rose higher and higher in the sky, as Saito and the nobles kept right on screaming.

* * *

In all her travels with Saito as her familiar, Louise had seen many strange and wonderful things. Some were beautiful, some were horrible, and all were burned into the void mage's memory for the rest of her life.

But this…..

What Louise witnessed now, was perhaps the most resplendent and awe inspiring sight of her life.

While standing with Saito and her fellow nobles on the _Ivaldi's_ observation deck, Louise saw what surely must have been reserved for no one but God himself.

Louise was seeing the continent of Halkeginia from orbit.

Bathed in the radiant beams of sunlight, Halkeginia was laid out from the coast of Gallia and Tristania, to the deserts of the Sahara. Swirls of white fluffy clouds seemed to brush across the stunning landscape as patched green and brown melded together in a perfect tapestry of breathtaking beauty.

She clutched Saito hand tighter as her husband pointed out the polar ice caps and continents that no noble had ever seen before.

Somewhere amidst the awe and wonder, Louise was able to articulate another epiphany.

_The Founder's teachings were a lie._

The mages were not the dominant force of the Universe, nor was Halkegina the center of all creation.

Not even close.

To Louise, the world was simultaneously much greater and insignificant.

And if her entire world was insignificant, then what did that make her?

All of these thoughts and more fought for dominance within Louise as she stared at the peaceful sphere below her.

While Louise and the other nobles were pondering the true value of their beliefs, Alexander watched quietly from the rear of the observation deck.

He knew perfectly well what they were experiencing at this moment, having experienced a similar forced awakening several centuries earlier.

Despite the fact that not a single one of his guests save Robert actually belonged in this time period, Alexander was pleased with what he saw. If they ever are able to return to where and when they belong, then perhaps they will use what they have experienced here to enlighten the rest of Halkegina, and bring some much needed humility to the mages and their culture, before it's too late.

Alexander felt a gentle tapping on his shoulder.

He turned to see his pilot Simon standing behind him.

"Sir, I wouldn't suggest we remain here long. The _Valliere_ is still on her way, and while we may not be doing anything illegal at the moment, a vessel with our reputation should probably be somewhere else when the military arrives."

Alexander nodded and then suddenly grabbed his pilot by the elbow.

"Simon, how have the stars been doing? I mean to say, is there any news about any recent stellar events?"

"The stars, are you joking? None have been going out lately if that's what you're asking."

"Going out? So some still have then?"

"Are you feeling alright Captain? Of course they've been going out. It's all these high and mighty scientists have been carrying on about for the last several years."

Alexander looked absolutely dejected. It appeared that he had failed to change anything either.

_But wait, that's impossible! I saved Saito and Louise both, they're right over there!_

Finishing his thought, Alexander turned back to the observation window, and sure enough there was his partner and friend, holding his master's hand and pointing out various geographical features to her.

The Captain shook his head, this didn't make any sense and yet it was all still happening.

"Captain, are you alright sir?"

Simon brought Alexander back to reality.

"I'm fine."

"Orders sir?"

Alexander again contemplated the nobles still staring awestruck at their home world below.

"Give them a few moments, and then prime the FTLs and prepare to get us out of here."

"Get us out to where sir?"

"Earth"

* * *

Alexander Dufresne, owner and captain of the starship _Ivaldi_ stood on the bridge of his ship.

There were seats for the navigator, pilot, engineer, and captain.

In the center of the bridge there was a round holographic imager depicting a hemispherical map of the local sector of space and all the stars within it.

At the front of the bridge was a large view port that contained a heads up display capable of showing tactical data and systems status on a real time basis.

At the rear of the ship stood Robert de Sable, along with eight mages, and two familiars, all stared slack jawed at the technology around them.

Simon turned in his seat to face his captain.

"The FTLs are primed and charged sir, ready to break orbit at your command."

Alexander nodded his head and the world bearing the continent of Halkeginia swung out of view. Laid out before them was the infinite darkness of space.

Professor Colbert could barely contain his wonderment.

_Travel amongst the stars!_

Alexander began issuing orders to his pilot.

"Set a course for Earth, jump when ready."

"Aye sir."

The hemispherical map of space expanded and one star labeled _Halk_ was highlighted, a line traced its way across the map and terminated at another highlighted star labeled _Sol._

Alexander contemplated the stars in the view port as his pilot began his countdown.

"Course plotted, jumping in…. "

"Five"

_You're still out there aren't you Partner._

"Four"

_I'm sorry for all the pain and heartbreak you've gone through._

"Three"

_You don't have to worry anymore Saito, I'm here now._

"Two"

_I'm here and I will stop you._

"One"

Alexander turned to face the eight displaced mages from Halkeginia and smiled. All the hopes and dreams of all life everywhere in the Universe now rested on this one little ship.

_We will all stop you._

"Jump!"

The _Ivaldi's _engines lit up and the red dragon starship became a streak of light, vanishing into the darkness of infinite space.


	20. Epilogue

On a far away anonymous world, a small furry rodent like creature pushed its way through the dense vegetation of a jungle's understory. Its nose twitched and sniffed, looking for bugs, berries, and even small reptiles for it to make a meal.

Suddenly, it saw a small glossy object peeking through the leaves of a wide bush. The rodent became curious, and it approached the object, investigating whether or not this mystery is edible or something it should just leave alone.

The rodent pressed its small pink nose against the shiny black surface.

_Snap!_

The serpent went to work immediately, coiling around and around the defenseless rodent, its panicked squeals dying out as its crushed lungs ran out of air.

The poor creature's ribs snapped one by one, its tail flopped back and forth as it struggled desperately to get free, but the more it struggled, the tighter the serpent squeezed.

Soon the tail went limp, and the rodent's tiny heart stopped.

After uncoiling its body, the serpent unhinged its jaws and prepared to swallow its prize whole.

However, just before the dead rodent became consigned to the serpent's gaping maw, a slender hand with black fingernails pushed its way through the brush.

The alien viper drew back and hissed, warning this intruder not to interfere with its hard won meal.

Yet suddenly a portion of the hand's topside lit up, and all thoughts about this appendage being a threat vanished from the serpent's tiny mind.

The snake flicked its tongue against the hand's smooth grey skin, and rubbed its head affectionately against the palm.

The reptile pushed its head up and out of the brush, fixing its yellow eyes upon the owner of this friendly hand.

It was a woman, short and petite with flowing pink hair and pink eyes; the rest of her skin was just as grey and smooth as her hand.

The serpent stood up on its tail, clearly transfixed by this angelic figure.

She brushed her hand against the underside of the snake's chin, giving it a firm scratching before withdrawing.

The snake hissed contentedly, and it slowly sank back into the bushes, returning to the task of consuming its warm blooded meal.

The woman stood between two trees and turned her gaze toward the thick jungle canopy above. Her lips moved in an almost silent whisper.

"_Levitation!"_

Slowly, her feet left the ground, and she gently floated up to the higher branches of the tree.

A short distance away, several small primates, swung, and played amongst the branches, stopping only when they noticed the strange floating person beginning to encroach upon their play area.

Once again the top of her hand lit up and small primates approached the woman. They squeaked, and cooed happily as the woman gently stroked their fur and scratched them behind the ears.

She continued her gentle ascent, until eventually breaching the thick canopy altogether.

She whispered again.

"_Speed!"_

She shot towards the bright blue sky at an impossible velocity, the air piled up above her as she parted the clouds, which formed perfect rings around the column of turbulent air she left in her wake.

Her incredible feat was the result of a very simple arithmetic.

_Levitation _plus _Speed _equals flight.

Faster and faster she rose, until the accumulated air above her began to fold back against her body, forming a distinguished cone.

_Boom!_

She shot through the topmost layer of clouds and glided to a stop. Her arms spread wide, she basked in the radiant warmth of an alien sun.

The pink haired woman closed her eyes and stretched her hands out toward that sun.

She formed a picture of the star in her _mind's eye, _and layer by layer, she mentally peeled away at the colossal sphere of burning gas and plasma. Then she found it, the innermost part of the round inferno.

The core.

Smiling, she focused her mind and mental energy on the planet sized inner nuclear furnace.

"_Ferrite!"_

The star convulsed and dimmed. The sky went from bright blue to dark purple and orange.

In the jungle far below, the birds squawked and flew from the trees, the primates hooted and howled, predators roared.

And miles away, a small group of primitive natives screamed and prayed to their ridiculous Gods, begging for deliverance and a salvation that would never come.

Still floating high above the jungle, the grey skinned lady rolled her head gently from side to side, her eyes closed, and a serene smile of satisfaction adorned her face as she listened to the symphony of horror that rose from the world's surface.

Suddenly her head stopped, and her eyes opened.

Her smile grew wider as she again whispered to the wind.

"_Yes Master."_

One by one, parts of the petite woman's body lit up with glowing runes.

Left Hand

Right Hand

Chest

Head

The sky was considerably darker, the once brilliant sun now a fading ember that was beginning to collapse.

Still smiling, she whispered one last time.

_Teleport!_

Her thin pink haired body twisted, distorted, and vanished from a sky that would never see another dawn.

* * *

**End Book 1**

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, that's it for Book 1, just a quick peek at what the mages will be facing in round 2.

I'm gonna go ahead and mark this story as complete. Book 2 will be posted as a separate story so keep an eye out.

I want to thank everyone for the feedback I got while writing this story. It was overwhelmingly positive and I really appreciate that. It is truly humbling for an author to create something that is enjoyed by so many others. So thank you, this story would not exist without your support.

Questions, comments, concerns, are always welcome. I'll even take some flames, as long as you embed some constructive criticism in the incoherent ranting and raving. I am always looking to improve my writing.

Book 2 will focus on a few separate story lines. I'm just trying to figure out how to weave them together in a seamless way that will not confuse the readers. But basically I'll be focusing on Saito and the mages piecing together who killed the mages and why, and the events that led up to the mages eventual extinction, and these events will intersect with the adventures of a Halkeginian mercenary with a foreign face who has a slight problem: He can't die.

Alright everyone, that's it for me. I'll be taking a short break to do some story development, and to recharge the ol' batteries, but I'll be back. (Hey, this was a lot of work!) Till next time! DarkFrodo out!


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